The Demon Swordsman's Legacy
by Flailingkittylover
Summary: Maka and Crona have entered a relationship and have been happily together for over a year. With her he felt he was healing, finally overcoming the fevered insecurities, doubts, and paranoia within him. But after today…they are stronger than ever before. How will Crona deal with the new hell sprouting in his head and around him? Set two years after the anime, AU Male CronaxMaka
1. Borrowed Courage

**A/N There's just...there's just not enough CroMa out there. So! I hope you all enjoy my contribution to the CroMa community.**

**This fanfic is rated for its language, suggestive content, and acts of violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater**

* * *

A cold gust of wind chilled the air surrounding Death City, sending an ominous howl to resonate through the city's empty streets. Clouds threatening rain began to stir and swath the sky in a blanket of grey and black, wrapping themselves around the crescent moon whose face stretched in a mocking grin, its maw salivating rivulets of crimson. The stormy gusts continued to flow through the dusty Nevada air invoking a violent tremor in the lanky Demon swordsman trudging through the streets. His fingers clenched his arm tightly and choppy pink bangs hid his eyes from his downcast. A brown crinkly package in the shape of a large rectangle was gripped in the sweaty palm of his right hand, trembling with him as he walked. A bruise was now forming on his cheek from his battle prior to retrieving the item, but he paid no mind to it. His mind was too blank to anything on or around him right now.

A sharp intake of air then rushed into the meister's lungs as a pricking sensation filled his spinal column, an indication that the weapon dwelling inside him was emerging.

"_Damn_ it's cold out here!" a shrill voice shrieked. The Demon Sword Ragnorak solidified from the hovering liquid mass into the short-limbed stubby body extending from his meister's back. The disgruntled weapon greeted his timid partner with a barrage of bangs to the top of his head with his miniature white-gloved fists. "Why'd you have to leave the apartment? Damn it there was_ food_ there! Not to mention a heater. After I save your ass from being attacked I expect to be pampered you little pest!

To relieve more of his frustration, Ragnorak stretched and pulled mercilessly at Crona's cheeks, eliciting a sharp whimper from the meister's trembling lips. After minutes of physical torment towards the sword's meister, Ragnorak settled atop Crona's head, his head leaning against his balled fist in boredom.

"So, where are we even going anyway? You just ran out like the scardey-cat puss you always are. Do you even have an _idea_? I'd like to get out of this damned cold, _if that's not too much trouble_."

Crona didn't respond. His slowed pace continued and his gaze stayed fixated to the floor. His hand gripped at his right arm furiously, his knuckles whitening against the bruising bicep.

Where was he going again? What was he supposed to do? Everything went by so fast... he couldn't remember.

As his exhausted mind ground its overloaded gears against the other in search of his memories, his trembling continued to intensify and his pallid face slowly shifted into a ghostly white. His shoulders began to shudder and his stomach spasmed and prickled in pain, as if the organ was churning sharp pieces of glass.

How was he supposed to deal with this growing anxiety? How did _anybody_ deal with this? He didn't understand. His limbs shook violently and his heart palpitated against his rib-cage as his panic pursued.

_Where am I going…? I know I ran…I always run. Even after nearly two years I'm the same nervous wreck I've always been, the same weakling. Why can't I… _

"_Hellllooooooooo_!" Ragnorak yelled. The tiny demon began punching and pulling the terrified boy's head in search of an answer. "Answer me you little tranny! I want warmth! Just go back home!"

Crona stopped his trek to nowhere and lifted his head by a margin, his brows knitting together in thought. Was he supposed to go home? No…No home was where she was…where Maka was. He knew he couldn't go there. For the first time ever, he couldn't deal with being near her right now.

The grey-blue eyes he possessed began to swirl like an advancing hurricane, madness gleaming on the edges in an attempt to pry its sharp claws into his quivering pupils, eager to pull him under from his fear. A choked yelp then left him as he felt his brain's gears suddenly spark, pushing the shadows away as the organ shot its newfound energy throughout his body, back at full speed once more. His eyes screwed shut as his memory of the day came back to him in quick flashes: his mission, the package he held, his return home, his overhearing Maka and Soul...

He grabbed his head with his hands, the thick packet hitting his forehead with a thud as he fisted his fingers against the pink locks. The sword meister peeked through his clenched eyes to gaze at the parcel. After reporting in, Lord Death had instructed him to take it to Professor Stein after he had rested at home from his month long mission, but that wasn't happening now, not tonight.

What other place was there left to go to? He couldn't go home… might as well complete his mission.

A shiver shook his body as the trembling meat sticks he called legs began to carry him to a new destination."Professor Stein…we're going to Professor Stein's house."Crona muttered, his slowed pace continuing.

"The screw-head? Ragnorak scoffed. "Why do you want to see that science freak at this time of night? Do you get your swift kicks off seeing him pry open little critters while I'm asleep?"

"N-No!" Crona stammered pulling his fright-filled eyes toward his partner to give him a quivering glare. "L-Lord Death told me we have to give him the package after our mission…so that's w-where we're going."

"But didn't he say we could do that later? The bone-faced queer said we should rest up tonight." The sword then grabbed a fistful of Crona's uneven nape hair and tugged on it to pull his meister's head back to face his angry "X" marked face. "So why aren't we _resting Crona_?!

"B-Because I said so Ragnorak!" Crona replied, shoving away his partner's harsh clench from his head. "I-I can't deal with going back home right now!…I..I-I just can't…"

Ragnorak groaned in exasperation, throwing his head back with his grief. His small hands grasped at the two strands hanging on the back of Crona's neck and gave them an encouraging tug. "Whatever you angst-filled pussy, do whatever you want. But his place better be warm and have mountains of food or I swear I'll be swiping your dinner for a week. Now go!" Ragnorak whipped the hair strands up and down as if he was a horseman encouraging his trusty steed. "Onward to warmth my pussy of a steed!"

Crona's weapon dissolved back into his spine, stirring into the depths of his innards in search of warmth. Crona quivered against the icy kiss of wind on his sweating face as he began his journey to Stein's lab.

Maybe...maybe going to Professor Stein and Marie's house could be a good thing. He had no where else to go and they always offered him a place to stay...maybe he could hide there for awhile.

Throughout the couple of years of his stay in Death City, the professors and he had become close, close enough for people to describe their bond as a parental relationship. He didn't know how to deal with that at first, he didn't like being reminded of that bond…of the tie that was supposed to be loving and nurturing, not cruelly controlling him like a puppeteer's tool. But with that bond being tied towards Stein and his wife, Professor Marie…he felt it wasn't so hard to deal with. They were always so nice to him, after all, always welcomed him in their home and offered their spare room to him. They never hesitated to lend a helping hand and Professor Marie always fervently told him they would be there for advice and a home. Sometimes her and Professor Stein's kindness was too much, so overwhelming he could feel his cheeks turn pink from the foreign affection and felt his brain begin to panic. He'd never understand why they were so kind to him, why they gave him such kindness…such tender care.

But despite that lack of understanding, he always appreciated their generosity, no matter how shy he always seemed upon receiving the affection or how he stumbled and tripped over his words. And although the gesture was extremely kind, he didn't need their vacant room; he already lived happily in an apartment, the one he had been invited to a couple months after the Kishin's death: Soul and Maka's.

Upon the thought, Crona felt his cheeks warm, his breath leaving him from the image forming in his head: a blonde-haired Scythe Meister smiling at him affectionately.

_Maka…._

Even with the dark clouds stirring in his mind, a blaze of warmth managed to seep through and spread across his tired mind and body; the heat branching out into his cold, tight muscles and into his very soul. Even after all this time his stomach still fluttered with butterflies and his heart thundered against his frail ribs when she was near him.

Maka was his girlfriend of more than a year now; she was an angel who extended a divine, helping hand when he was trapped in the pits of the terrifying abyss of the Madness, saving him from the lonely darkness.

He never knew which feature of her he loved the most. Everything to him was perfect. Her angelic blond hair and forest green eyes always made his face fluster an unnatural shade of crimson. Her now more matured, slim figure with a warrior's physique still made his knees wobble weakly, and her gentle, warm smile and touch left his pulse to skyrocket to a level he considered cardiac arrest.

A small smile twitched on his lips as he envisioned her whole: her pale skin shimmering in the bright Nevada light from Shibusen's balcony, her eyes sparkling, and warm smile entrancing as she stared over the city.

From the depths of his innards he heard Ragnorak let out a content sigh, his own blood acknowledging the increase in temperature as Crona's thoughts raged like a storm on moments with Maka: the first time her bright soul lit up his cold and thirsty one, their embrace in the searing desert, her passionate hug to him after her battle with a Demon God, the feel of her soft lips when they first touched his, the electric spark from the first time they…

Crona's pleasant smile suddenly fell into a grimace and his teeth began to chatter like a jackhammer against concrete. The pleasant warmth once swimming through his veins evolved into a cold, sickly clench in his gut and lungs. His fingers dug into the bicep of his arm again.

_Maka….it's my fault you're sad isn't it? I know you would say it isn't….but it feels like it is. It always does. I don't know what happened. Everything was such a blur…I-I don't…understand. _

The looming clouds above exploded in light as lightning began to surge across the sky, droplets of rain following in its wake. After more booms and flashes of blue littered the blackened heavens, a heavy rainstorm began to pour onto the dry land below.

Crona rubbed the tears brimming in his eyes with a black sleeve from his robe and continued to walk. He hunched his shoulders and brought the package to his chest in protection as the rain fell down on him. He glanced up at the sky and felt the cold kisses of rain splashing against his skin.

He always liked the rain, whether it was just the sound against the window or being in it. It gave him the feeling that he was being cleansed of his sins, all of it washing down into pools on the floor to make him clean; that he had the chance to be forgiven for his transgressions.

But no matter how much his tortured soul wanted it, the cleanse would never come. The blood of the innocent remained on his hands, seeping into every pore to stain him forever. His self-loathing and horrid crimes already tormented his fragile soul. But the hatred of himself only bubbled and spilled over as his racing mind focused on that confusing night one month ago, the memory repeating over and over and consuming his every thought.

* * *

**One month earlier**

Through Crona's cloudy and lazy eyes, the apartment appeared to move on its own; the noise around him now dull and in booming echoes. He felt a slight_ hick_ twitch in his esophagus while his dazed and dilated eyes continued to spin in his sockets, scanning the room.

His drooping eyes observed the banner which hung over the kitchen labeled "Congratulations New Death Scythe Team!" Colorful balloons were scattered across the ceiling, music thundered in the room, and everyone seemed to be laughing; a tinge of red on all their cheeks and drinking what looked like water from glass bottles.

Crona stirred in his recliner and hiccuped again. It was a little confusing. For some reason they didn't take out those long bottles until Maka left to the store with Tsubaki to get more food. Which was weird, because he could have sworn he put extra groceries in the refrigerator, but they mysteriously vanished after Maka told Soul to take out the garbage. From Crona's perspective, Soul seemed strangely happy to do a chore he always despised, but it was a celebration of him becoming a Death Scythe, so why wouldn't he be happy today? Right?

Crona arched a curious, unsteady eyebrow at the bottles his friends held and peered at the glass resting in his hand; the same liquid swishing around in a small puddle at the bottom. What was that stuff Black Star gave him anyway? It looked so much like water, but it tasted so foul, so concentrated. Maybe that's what this "magic water" is supposed to taste like. His cocky friend gave it to him saying the magic would, "Rid him of his girlish doubt and give him god like confidence". It didn't seem like a bad idea really. For the entirety of the swordsman's life he was plagued with insecurities and self-pity, it would be nice to have something help pull him out of what people labeled "chronic depression".

Ragnorak also seemed ecstatic about the water once Crona had gulped it down. He even demanded his own glass saying….how did he say it again? "Gimme some buzz drink? I want to get loaded?" Yeah, that was it. It was so funny Crona couldn't help but giggle lightly. Black Star just said it was magic water, not buzz drink.

Besides, how do you even buzz a drink? The silly comment made him giggle more but it didn't seem to faze Black Star. He just replied confidently, "Sure, bask in the awesomeness of what the god Black Star's has brought."

The sword must have enjoyed it, because the weapon couldn't stop laughing, he even cursed more than usual: spouting off slurred insults to everyone in the group, laughing wickedly, and even making perverted comments toward a currently not present Tsubaki. Crona wasn't sure if he regretted gulping down the drink or not. Everything was so fuzzy... and Ragnorak seemed more unstable than usual.

Luckily, Ragnorak had become so unstable that his solidified form could no longer be maintained. The small form he took almost rained small droplets of blood on him as the demon's control wavered. As always, he made sure to make a dramatic exit, making a comment that the "hooch" helped save him from the disgusting friendship-filled hippy circle occurring in the living room. After that last insult, he fled inside Crona's back.

Crona let out a small giggle as the crowd began to laugh. Ragnorak got it wrong again. Ragnorak was silly, everyone was being silly, even _he_ was being silly; giggling and laughing at every little thing so heartedly. The magic water made him feel carefree, something he never experienced. He had no idea the emotion could be this blissful. Feeling immensely grateful to Black Star for letting him experience this new emotion, Crona wanted to show his appreciation to him for this foul but relief-filling drink he held in hand.

As Crona pushed his shaking hands against the armrest to stand, his clumsy legs wobbled under him and he fell on his rump to the floor with a loud _THUD_. The crowd looked at him, a strange red flush on all their faces and he returned their gaze with a shaky thumbs-up while pointing to the glass in hand.

"Damn kid!" Black Star laughed. "Check out Crona! The vodkas really getting to him!" The spiky blue-haired man shot a thumbs-up to the young swordsman and bright sparkles glistened next to his eyes. "Your God is proud of you, Crona! Live it up!"

The laughing continued and a flushed Soul helped him back into the recliner he sat in, making a comment of "It's a wild ride for anyone's first drink" Crona didn't understand completely, as he has tried many hot and cold drinks before, but gave Soul a wobbly smile nonetheless.

Everything was so nice. The room was in an uproar, everyone was having fun and laughing, and the bubbly Patty seemed to wave happily and greet the source of a loud slam, someone she knew must have come in. It was possibly more people to add to the fun.

Crona sighed. The blissful atmosphere felt amazing, so calming…but Crona felt it was missing something, something he couldn't pinpoint.

Suddenly, he felt two hands cup his cheeks, pulling him sideways to force his lazy gaze to the source. His eyes were met with a set of concerned emerald eyes staring at him. Even through the fog of bliss the water gifted him with, those eyes always induced a blush to stream across his cheeks and his eyes to widen. There was what was missing.

"Are you okay?" Maka asked. Her angelic voice seemed to echo for some reason, over and over again in his head. Was it the magic's fault? No, it wouldn't do that. The water just wanted to help him.

Crona managed a groggy smile, another_ hic_ escaping his throat. He slowly flopped his head back and forth to respond to her. He weakly lifted the glass held in his hand and softly rattled it back and forth in front of him.

Maka's concerned gaze turned into a light frown as her nostrils sniffed to detect the aroma of the glass, the bridge of her nose clenching in what looked like disgust. She left one hand on his face while the other pointed at the glass. He heard her voice in the echoes asking, "Who?"

Crona's head slipped downwards out of Maka's hand, rotating his head to the right to find the confident blue-haired ninja guffawing with his shark-tooth grinning friend; a bottle of the magic water in both of their hands and cards in the other. He let out a drunken chuckle as he lifted his wobbling arm in the Star clan member's direction.

"H-He gave it to me." Crona slurred. "He said I'd feel less worried if I drank the magic water."He looked up to what appeared to be a fuming Maka, her eyes intently focused on Black Star and said, "It actually k-kinda works. You should try some too."

"No, I don't want any."Maka quickly replied. "And _you_ shouldn't be having any of that either." She put her hands underneath his jaw and gently placed his head against the headrest of the armchair he sat in. Her hands always felt so soft, so gentle against his pale skin. It was the loving touch he'd craved his entire life.

One of those soft hands removed the half-filled glass out of his grasp and ran a hand through his hair. "Just rest here for a while, I'm going to have a…._talk_ with Black Star." She kissed his forehead and spoke softly against his blushing skin, "I'm not going to let you get into this like Papa did."

Crona blinked as she stormed off to the other end of the room, the walls and floors still moving slowly in his vision. He wondered how Maka could walk so easily in a room that seemed to be spinning endlessly. She was always so talented…so brave. One day he could possibly be like her. One day…

A small spark of realization hit him as his mind wondered off. Maybe…today's that day? He could feel the water on his side; with that power he could do anything, right? Yeah…Yeah today he'd be just as brave as Maka. Today he would do everything he wanted to do but never found the courage to. A small smile tugged at his lips as he felt a seed of confidence sprout within him.

A loud thud then pulsed in Crona's ears and he felt the room shake. His focus returned back to his shaky reality and moved his head to glance at the event in front of him.

Soul seemed to be laughing louder than he did before, his hand clutching against his stomach as he pointed at the sight in front of him, the twins following in his mocking. Black Star lay in the crater on the floor, his eyes spinning and a dent in the shape of a book's spine molded into his skull. Maka poured the remaining contents of the glass onto his head and was speaking angrily at him. If Crona heard right, she didn't seem so happy about him drinking the water of the heavens, saying it would hurt him more than heal him.

But how? He felt so at ease right now, his mind silent and focused on the whir of the room. It couldn't be bad for him…was it?

Crona then felt a gentle hand grab his hand and wrap around his waist, as if to help support him. He looked over to see his love worriedly looking at him and telling him she was going to let him lie down for awhile. Had it been any other person he'd question it or claim he could lift himself so he wouldn't impose his weight on them. But this was Maka, he could never deny his angel's wishes.

So he began to stand.

Maka helped support him as he pushed a hand to the armrest to straighten into a standing position. It was a lot more difficult than he remembered. So much more that he almost fell into Maka as he stood in his standard hunched posture. His angel told him everything is okay, causing another small smile to twitch on his lips. She helped keep him steady as they walked toward the hall to the bedrooms. As they walked, the curious Crona gazed into the living room to see if his hubris friend was alright.

To Crona, he seemed to be…alive at least. Black Star's tolerant and kind weapon partner, Tsubaki, attended to her partner's injury, her face full of concern and a hint of embarrassment. Soul didn't even seem to cease laughing as he and a red-faced Liz seemed to be re-enacting Maka's approach to the hard-headed ninja meister. The bubbly Patty was busy making edible works of art from the food the table provided: cheesy giraffes peppered with olives as spots and salami stick pigs with curly fry tails and toothpick legs covering her dinner plate. Even Kid seemed entranced in his own works; mumbling words of sweet symmetry as he organized the large bookshelf and the knick knacks it and other furniture pieces held.

Before Crona could witness more of his friend's amusing antics, Maka had pulled him into her bedroom and walked him to the bed. She patted the comforter in a silent command for him to sit. Crona responded and staggered to the bedside to fall clumsily on top with a soft exhale. He flopped over the comforter, like a fish out of water struggling to breathe on its belly, as he tried to make himself comfortable, causing Maka to let out a quiet giggle. He smiled. He loved that laugh.

"Stay here for a bit Crona and get some rest. "Maka said sweetly. She placed a hand on his shoulder blade and rubbed it softly, causing his smile to broaden. "I'm going to go clear everyone out. This celebration has gotten way out of hand."

Maka left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar as Crona lay on the cozy material. He used the palm lying limply on his side to rub against the silk sheets. Maka always had pleasant things, whether it was her personality, home, friends, or bedroom. He couldn't help but let his eyelids slip shut as he reminisced of the memories here.

He remembered his savior coming to the rescue from his corner of comfort when a thunder and lightning storm clapped ferociously outside, taking him to her room to sleep peacefully through the night. How they would play card games or read books to each other on the bed every night. A tinge of pink then crept into his cheeks as he recalled the night when they shared their first kiss under the stars, laying on the ground peacefully and knowing their deep love for the other.

His grip had tightened against the sheets and a rising heat scorched his body as he relived his most cherished memory: it was here where they shared their promise of love. The pink flush was now a deep red as the images of that night flashed through his mind: the way she looked and felt under his palms, the searing heat which radiated off their close contacted skin, the overwhelming desire and hunger fueling their actions of eternal bounding until they collapsed. The images ravaged his mind as the warmth turned into a spiking, overwhelming heat. He felt a need grow uncomfortably strong within him as he remembered that moment, remembered all of his turmoil of even performing their bond of souls.

Every time he even thought about…_that_, the terror of hurting her overcame him, so much that he often couldn't advance in their kissing and touching. The nightmares of tearing her to pieces from loss of control were rooted too deep. Even after a year of dating the fear still ran strong, his broken mind still unable to accept that someone wanted him. Instead it fed him cold words, lies that he would hurt her if he did try, that he would kill her mercilessly.

But despite all that angst and internal torture, Maka remained patient with him. She stayed with him still, her eyes never filled with disappointment but only of love, care, and understanding. She waited until he wanted to attempt, and with her help of guiding him through it, they completed their promise, a blissful haze meeting them upon finishing.

Crona's fist clenched against the comforter, frustrated with himself and the previous incapability to reciprocate Maka's actions. He was tired of being the one to hold Maka back, to barely initiate anything, to be afraid. Maka wasn't the man of the relationship, he was, and here he was proving Ragnorak right of being a wimpy little pansy; he proved that to be true through their first kiss and first time. It wasn't fair to her and he wanted to fix that.

Inside his hazed brain, he mentally thanked Black Star for giving him something to help find his courage. Without this confident drink, he probably wouldn't have gathered it himself. A new plan was now forged within him, and he intended to carry it out.

He scooted himself on his belly along the comforter and reached out his shaky hand for the drawer to the nightstand to check for something. He slipped his shaking fingers around the handle and struggled to pull it open. He propped himself up and looked inside; searching for something Soul gave him in the start of his relationship.

As he stared into the drawer, the swordsman frowned in discontent as he found the small box inside was empty. He could have sworn he had more of those rubber things, the box wasn't gigantic, but it should have had enough.

His frown deepened. He remembered Blair coming out of their room once. She never really went in unless it was to sleep in cat form, but this time it was different; she acted like she was hiding something. Only until now did he notice as he was too distracted then in trying to get away and panicking from the voluptuous woman who rubbed herself against him. During his moment of terror, she had mentioned something about the need for a "plastic army" for the night. He didn't understand at first, as he didn't have any plastic army figurines in his room, those green plastic soldiers are for little kids. Sure he often felt like one, but that doesn't mean he owned children toys.

…so…plastic army…did that mean she meant…?

Crona blushed a dark crimson and quickly closed the drawer, lying back on the bed sheets.

Okay, so maybe a cat burglar left him barren in his stocks of protection, but he couldn't let this issue change his resolve, he wouldn't. He finally had something to give him confidence and with help from the magic water, he was confident nothing would go wrong. He could deal with this.

A creek of a door opening sang through the room. Crona looked up to see a grumbling Maka taking off her tie in frustration and placed a book on her dresser, a tinge of blood visible on its spine. He glanced through the crack in the door and caught glimpses of their group exiting the apartment. A worried Tsubaki supported an inappropriately slurring Black Star and their red-faced roommate, Soul, left with an arm wrapped around the elder Thompson sister with Patty and Kid following in suit. The door closed behind them and the apartment was filled with silence.

They were alone.

He let out another hiccup as he felt a rise in his confidence. The other times they were together doing…_that_, they made sure every sound was stifled. But after seeing Soul leave and remembering a certain purple cat woman would be working until early morning at the cabaret club tonight, that wouldn't be the case this time.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." Maka huffed. She opened her drawer and started to collect pieces of clothing. "I swear those idiots don't have any amount of self-control. Leave it to Black Star to go out of his way to seem like an even bigger insensitive jerk. I leave for twenty minutes and he breaks out the booze just like that. Honestly, is he so stupid to think I wouldn't see it when I got back? Or was he too high off his own confident ego to even think straight?" His blonde goddess turned to face him, her eyes filled with concern and frustration. "I'm so sorry I let them do that to you, Crona, I should have been here. I should have known he and Soul would pull an immature stunt like this. You didn't know any better, but _he_ should have."

Maka twitched a brow and shook her head. After a few moments, she squared her shoulders and looked at Crona. "But, at least we have them out now and we can enjoy the quiet." She gave him another one of her vibrant smiles. Warm shivers shook through him as she stared at him tenderly, causing his already red face to burn brighter. "I'm going to take a shower, I think some of Black Star's disgusting man sweat and blood got on my skin. I'll be back before you know it, just stay here and rest."

She walked over and gently pecked Crona's forehead. She gave him another smile and dimmed the lights of her room as she exited.

No matter what, he always blushed when she kissed him, even if the gesture had been done a thousand times. The thought that Maka actually belonged to him still made his head reel and spin. He could grow to be eighty and still be bewildered, still believe this was a dream. How could someone like him be so lucky to have her?

His heart then skipped a beat and his blush brightened. _Shower_, He thought to himself. Was this how it was supposed to start? Was he supposed to go in there and…you know, do something? Or was he supposed to wait until she gets back?

Or did he already miss his chance…?

Frustration ruffled in Crona's pink brows and he forced himself up from the bed. "_No more questions_." He thought, shaking his head. "_It's now or never. The magic might fade and I'll lose my nerve again."_

Shaky palms leaned against the end of the bed to support his lifting. His knees shook and he seemed to stagger as he put a palm to the wall to keep him steady. As he regained his balance, he took in a large intake of oxygen into his calming lungs.

It's now. Today is the one day fear won't exist with him.

Out of sheer willpower, Crona commanded his body to exit the room, his new mission located in the restroom of the apartment.

* * *

Beams of light shone through the curtains into the bedroom as the sun rose in the morning sky. A ray of sunlight shined through the curtains to reach the sword meister's face, causing him to stir from his once pleasant sleep. His eyelids felt as heavy as stone and his head throbbed painfully as his slumber was disturbed. A warm movement shifted against his chest as his body started to twitch. The young man forced his heavy eyelids open to view the scenery around him.

The room appeared too bright. He winced from the excessive gleaming that had spread throughout his vision. He squirmed against the warm mass he felt against his chest and directed his foggy vision onto a thread-like silk residing below his chin. He blinked rapidly as his blurred sight began to clear, his eyes taking in the sight before him.

A familiar scalp stemming with wheat-blond hair and sunlight strands slept soundly against his chest, her angelic face relaxed from her slumber. Her arms were wrapped around him and her legs entangled in his own. The heat of the sun's rays and Maka's body added to the rising temperature and blush staining Crona's face as he scanned the image before him.

Their clothing was absent, it wasn't even scattered on the floor as it normally was. Apparently he was able to pull off his own courage the previous night. They had carried on in the bedroom what he had started in the restroom; it was clear as the comforter still had a slight dampness of water still drying.

As Crona continued to gaze around the room, a sudden wrench of throbbing pain pulsed in his skull, causing him to quickly lift a hand to hold his head and gritted his teeth in pain as the aching waves washed through him. Normally the after effects were always so pleasurable, like a fuzzy bliss filling his chaotic mind. But this time a pounding ache thundered against his temples, replacing the blissful effects of afterglow. He bit back a groan to not wake Maka and rubbed his cheek against the top of her head to calm him.

As he cowered from the pain in his head, he heard a melodious yawn grace the air. The soft mass of hair below him moved to look up and he was greeted with the sweet, tired eyes and smile of his beloved. "Good morning, Crona." Maka said sleepily.

He returned his own timid smile. "G-Good morning Maka. How are you?"

Her smile stretched wider as she drew a hand from Crona's back and brought it to his chest, her fingers drawing circles against it."I'm wonderful."Maka sighed. She rested her forehead against his clavicle and kissed it; her smile broadening further across her face. "I'm still in awe. You were more amazing than usual last night."

He felt his cheeks burn a bright blood-red as he shivered in embarrassment. He hunched his shoulders and hid his face in her hair. She returned his bashful reaction with a small giggle and a tightened embrace.

"T-Thank you." He muttered happily.

Maka giggled lightly at his shyness, cute and adorable like her laughs always were. Despite the aching pounding in his skull, he managed a wide smile, laying with her comfortably under the sheets. What felt like blissful hours passed as they simply held each other, no talking, no moving, just peace from the quiet and warmth they shared. It wasn't until his heavy lids opened in curiosity to glance at her nightstand, curious to the time. As his sights met the electrical clock, Crona felt his insides grow cold, his eyes widening in horror.

"M-Maka?"Crona asked.

His body had become tense against hers, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he remembered something.

"Yes, Crona?" Maka replied.

The muscles in his throat convulsed as he made a hard gulp, eyes glued to her nightstand. "I-Is that clock right?"

"Clock?"

Crona nodded and shook against her. She rubbed a palm against his chest to reassure him and looked behind her to glance at the clock. The alarm standing on Maka's nightstand shone a bright green set of numbers reading: 9:35 a.m. Maka looked back at Crona, puzzled.

"Well, I don't remember touching it recently. And there have been no cut offs of power. It should be right."

Crona's let out a startled squeak in shock and scrambled beneath the sheets, lifting it up in the air. He wormed his way out of her grip and fell over the side of the bed in his haste. He clutched one of the sheets against his bare form as he scavenged his dresser for his clothes.

"Crona?"Maka asked worriedly. "Crona, what's wrong?"

He pulled his black robe with white cuffs and button up collar onto his body and struggled to get his boxy, black shoes on. "I-I'm sorry Maka. "Crona said nervously. He shoved one his shoes onto his feet and buttoned its collars. "I'm so sorry I have to rush out. I c-completely forgot about my mission today. I was supposed to leave on my transport five minutes ago! I-I promised Lord Death I wouldn't be late!" The swordsman flinched again and brought a hand to soothe his pulsing headache. "But this pounding in my head just hurts and it makes me want to sleep…I don't know why it hurts."

A soft frown formed across Maka's features. She put her hand to her forehead and grumbled a small _Thanks a lot Black Star_, to herself. He blinked at her, puzzled on what Black Star had to do with this but continued to put on his clothes. After a few moments, she released her head and covered her body by moving under the sheets toward him. She made a messy dress of sheets as coverage and placed a hand on Crona's shivering back, kissing the side of his neck. His cheeks grew hotter and he gave her a shy smile.

"I don't know how long this mission will take…"He said sadly. "B-but I'll always have my mirror with me." He showed Maka the small pocket mirror and placed it in his robe's pocket. "I'll let you know when I'll be back as soon as I can."

The Scythe Meister gave him a warm smile. She placed a hand on his cheek and pressed her lips to his, savoring him before he stepped out to leave. The two meisters softly moved their lips against the other, lingering as long as they could before parting, both of their faces flushed red. She wrapped her arms around him and he returned her embrace.

"You sure know how to give a girl an amazing last night of romance. "Maka teased into his ear. He felt his face emanate an enormous amount of heat and tension spread across his shoulders, hunching into her from self-consciousness. He still didn't know how to respond to her teasing, so he just let out a nervous laugh.

Crona allowed a trembling grin to grace his face. He released Maka from their embrace and twirled his forefingers around each other. "U-uh T-T-Thank you."

"You're welcome." Maka said, kissing the bridge of his nose. "Be safe and good luck. Now go on! Your mission is waiting for you!"

Crona smiled and nodded. He kissed her forehead and sat up from the bed. He grabbed the pre-made bag of clothes and traveling gear for his missions as he walked to the door. He paused and looked back behind him, those beautiful green eyes staring tenderly at him.

"I'll be back, Maka." He said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Crona." She smiled.

He exited through the door, his feet feeling like they were lifting off the ground with every step, as if he was walking up to heaven on invisible clouds.

He took out the mission directive etched on a piece of paper from his bag and scanned it attentively to refresh himself. Lord Death had assigned to him to search for a Kishin egg fitted in charcoal-plated armor, nicknamed "The Black Knight"; a pre-demon who has been terrorizing different parts of America and was sighted in South America, leaving a trail of kidnapping cases and possible ties to murders in his wake.

With the happiness of last night and his current life under his belt, he felt like he could do anything. This Kishin egg would be a walk in the park.

Nothing could tear him down. Nothing _would_ tear him down; not even the splitting headache in his skull or this Black Knight he was to track. He was genuinely happy and nothing in the world could spoil that happiness he felt.

Everything was finally perfect.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Unexpected Guest

Regaining himself from his vivid flashback, Crona found himself on the doorstep of his professor's house, the lights shining brightly to identify a visitor. His body had been soaked by the heavy downpour, his hair matted against his scalp and the fabric of his black robe clenched against his skin. As he glanced down to peer at the odd tightness upon his arms, he winced out of self-consciousness and pulled at his skin-clutching gown, trying to assist in the fabric illusion that he wasn't as skinny as everyone thought he was.

It was moments like this he wished he was someone like Black Star; a big brawny man with gargantuan muscle that bulged through very tan skin and was flooded with confidence. It would be easier to deal with things if he had all those characteristics. But instead he had two sets of scrawny pale limbs extending from his slim torso where self-consciousness oozed out of every pore and was forever stained on his shy, blushing face.

Even through eating regularly for two years and enduring rigorous training and missions, he didn't gain too much weight…or large amounts of muscle. The only significant difference of his body now compared to then was that he was a couple inches taller and his muscles were leaner with refined definition; his body was delicately 'cut' as Maka described to him. But that was all that changed. His back was still hunched, his eyes continued to plead mutely, and his hair was still an uneven bunch of pink messy strands, as he did not know how to deal with choosing another hairstyle from the myriad amounts of options hair salons offered. All those pictures of women and men with changing colors and designs on their scalps overwhelmed him greatly.

…Why did people even_ need_ that many hairstyles anyway? To be changing hairstyles so often and so differently each time you visit seems awfully overzealous toward something as simple as hair. At school he always saw girls who had one hair color or style one month then had changed it the next, leaving the class in awe or, for some of the meaner people, to giggle rudely. He didn't understand the importance of hair-styling, but maybe it was better that way. It looked way too complicated.

Crona sighed once the fabric had been lifted off him and allowed his gaze to rest on the iron hinged door of Professor Stein's house, still pondering if he should enter. As the familiar feelings of reluctance and possible intrusion flooded him, his brain began to panic and claim that it was a mistake to come here, that he was imposing on his kind teachers at this time of night. To bother them on such a cold evening was selfish of him.

His eyes constricted into frightful pinpricks, lost between going in or walking away, questioning himself further. His grip on the damp material of the package tightened against his chest as he continued to debate.

"Damn it Crona!" Ragnorak exclaimed as his tiny form emerged from his back. "Just knock on the door! Like _this_!"

"W-Wait Ragnorak!" Crona protested.

Before the young man could stop him, Ragnorak smashed his fist against the door in hard bangs, demanding for entry. "Open up! I'm cold damn it! I demand warmth!"

"Ragnorak be _quiet_!" Crona whispered harshly. "They'll hear us!"

Ragnorak looked at him as if he was a fool, his eerie eyes shaking with annoyance. "Of course they will, that's why we _came here stupid_!" Ragnorak took a break from banging on the door and pounded his fists against the top of Crona's head. "Get your mind out of the gutter and make up your mind! Sheesh, I swear I have to do everything for you." He pushed and pulled at Crona's nose, warping the cartilage with a tiny hand for his own amusement.

"H-Hey _ow_! Stop being so mean Ragnorak! My head already hurts from-"

Crona stopped his arguing when the door creaked open, a gentle flow of warmth washing over his face from the internal heat. A woman with bright yellow hair and a black eye-patch covering her left eye peaked through the opening to greet the visitor; the kind and caring Death Scythe, Professor Marie.

"Why Crona!" Marie said happily. Her caramel eyes shined brightly at the sight of him, clapping her hands together in glee. "It's good to see you!"

"H-Hello Professor."Crona muttered, looking down at his shoes. A small blush appeared on his cheeks from his teacher's excitement and he lifted up the damp parcel so his teacher could see. "I-um, I came here w-with this."

Marie blinked and looked at him with subtle disbelief. "But Stein said you didn't have to bring that until you've rested from your mission." Marie scanned him, his guilt rising as a look of concern crept across her features. "Oh Crona, look at your poor self, you're soaked from the rain!"

"Yes b-but I-"

"And you've even got a nasty bruise on your cheek! Crona, have you even rested at all? Or even had that looked at?"

"Well n-no I-"

He was cut off again as Marie pulled him out of the drenched doorway and into the heated house. She quickly closed the door behind him, enclosing them in the lab.

"You poor dear. "She sympathized, holding his damp shoulders gently. "You wait right here, I'll get you a towel to dry yourself off. You must be freezing in that damp robe."

Crona nodded shakily as he watched the motherly woman hurry away in search of a towel.

"Finally, warmth!"Ragnorak shouted triumphantly. He recoiled back into Crona's body to wrap himself around his meister's warming insides.

As Ragnorak stirred inside him, Crona wrapped his arms around himself, hugging his arms in comfort and in attempt of warmth as he examined the interior of Stein and Marie's home.

As Marie did when she first moved in, she had added her own woman's touch to the once bleak and sutured insides of Stein's home. Although grey shelves with glass cabinets harboring bottles of creatures floating in formaldehyde and frightening surgical equipment remained, a wooden hutch with cups and dishes resided against the wall, pleasantly adding to the room. The empty portions of the walls were decorated with pleasant frames of bright sceneries, a purple carpet decorated the floor, and small knick knacks sat atop Stein's metal desk with a large fern sitting to the side.

As he scanned the room, interested by Marie's decorating, a familiar sight sent a pang of hurt through Crona, causing his already frozen insides to be further crystallized with frost. In front of him he identified two purple couches with a coffee table in the middle of the room; the place where he had put one of Medusa's snakes into his gentle teacher.

His lower lip quivered and he hung his head in shame. The wonderful woman had forgiven him, but even after all this time he still couldn't find the ability to forgive himself.

"Here we go!" Marie said cheerfully. The blonde woman appeared with a fuzzy bundle of fabric. She grabbed the green blanket and wrapped it around her student. "There you are sweetheart." Through the fabric her hands rubbed against him, his cheeks steadily rising in an embarrassed pink as she swiped away the wetness from his face and hair with a warm smile. "Much better. I bet you're all toasty now!"

Instead of grabbing his right arm in shyness, the swordsman gripped the soft green material tight around his body, his hands clenched on the seemed borders and the brown package pressed tightly in the middle of his chest.

"Y-Yes P-Professor."Crona replied, his averted gaze still aimed toward the wall.

She gleamed at his acceptance of her care and placed her hands on his shoulders, gently moving him toward the set of sofas. "Have a seat. I'll bring you some tea. Hopefully it will warm you up on the inside too."

His blush burned brighter and he nodded, shyly thanking her as she left. Within minutes she returned with three teacups and set two in front of Crona, winking to him that she made one spicy in case a certain visitor wanted to pop out. He gave her a wobbly smile and thanked her as she sat next to him. Even though he had pained her in the past, she never stopped being so kind and considerate towards he and his self-centered partner.

As Crona took another sip of the tea that thawed his frozen innards, the bridge of his nose twitched and he let out a sharp sneeze, small flecks of liquid flying from his mouth. Embarrassed, he wiped the collection of mucus from his dripping nose away with an edge from the towel, wrapping the blanket tighter around him.

Marie gave him a warm look of motherly disapproval. "You didn't have to walk here in the rain to bring it to Stein, Crona. We don't want you catching a cold. You've been gone for so long and you need to rest. You should have waited."

"I k-know I should have…"He spoke softly, his stutter from his exposure to the cold and his own anxiety. His fingers fumbled beneath the soft material in bashful nervousness. "But I-I…just wanted to. Professor Stein needed it."

Marie's smile simply stretched to even warmer heights. "I know, Crona. You're such a kind and considerate young man"

Crona hung his head in contrition. "I'm…I'm not-"

The benevolent woman cut him off this time by bringing him into a tight hug, ignoring his drenched attire that dampened her shirt. Her hand held his head against her chest and the other wrapped around his back, moving her hand in soft, comforting circles over his shoulder blade.

He froze, unable to move, unable to respond.

The hugs Professor Marie gave him were always so pleasant; they could be bone-crushing, but still pleasant nonetheless. A progressing surge of warmth filled his chest as his mind calmed, her bubbly wavelength spreading through his shivering soul. Crona sat there, relaxed and lost in the warm embrace the women blessed him with. He never knew how to deal with the loving affection she showed him, all he could do is tear in response and remain limp against her; his soul trembling as it writhed in the touch it craved.

Crona kept his tired face against her chest. This wasn't like Maka's hugs, different emotions were held there, but Marie gave him another branch of love he thirsted for: motherly affection. A want he longed for his entire lifetime. He shut his eyes and let the gentle wavelength engulf him and wash away his troubles. A hug from Marie was one he wished lasted forever, to never end.

But he never had much luck when it came to personal wishes.

Crona was jolted out of his calmed stasis as an ear shattering wail vibrated against his eardrums, causing his eyes to snap open and tension to flower in his muscles. He shot backwards out of her arms and fell with a hard _THUMP_ to the stitched floor, his eyes darting back and forth in search of the horrendous sound. "W-W-What is that _noise_?" He stammered in panic. He gripped his hair in fists and searched desperately for the source, wanting it to stop.

"Oh dear…"Marie sighed, placing her fingertips on her lower lip and gazing wordily at the ceiling. She looked down at him, her smile gentle. "It's alright, the baby has just been really fussy tonight. It's just another tantrum."Marie leaned down and offered a hand. "Come now, please don't sit on the dirty floor."

The bands of fear and confusion still gripped at Crona's lungs as he stared toward the source of the wailing. That's right, Marie and Stein had a child over a year ago. Crona felt guilt lance through his heart as he dared to forget something that had made the kind adults so happy. How could such a life changing event for them even manage to slip from his mind?

…maybe his mind was much more clouded right now than he thought.

Shaking, he lifted a hand toward his teacher and stood up. Crona shook as the sound reverberated against the walls of his brain. It was such an unnatural sound, something he thought could only escape from the mouth out of a critically wounded person.

"Now, Stein should be back in the lab any minute. He just had to run to the store to grab a few things." She gave Crona a slight squeeze of his hand before she left it. "I've got to run upstairs to see what's wrong with the little grumpy bear. It was a pleasure seeing you, as always."

"T-Thank you." He replied, a slight smile appearing across his lips.

She beamed at him and gave him a quick hug. A squeak left his mouth in surprise. "You can stay here the night if you wish. It's pouring out there and you're always welcome in this house."

She let go of him and rushed to the stairs to attend to the querulous noise upstairs.

Crona stood in-between the coffee table and the couch, motionless. The few moments of him standing there felt like hours as he intently listened to the sounds; his ears perking as he listened to the softening cries from the small being living upstairs. The high pitched wails turned into a soft mewl through the walls as Marie's soft lullaby shushed it to sleep. Then the sounds had vanished completely and Marie continued to sing her song of sleep.

His stomach clenched and his head began to throb again, the troubles pouring back in. Through his matched wavelength with Marie, he sensed the two wavelengths merging together in a soothing resonance. It was so easy and natural to them. Stein always said such a resonance was a result of a bond between parent and child. Parent and…

The charcoal-blue eyes contained in his skull brimmed with tears as his thoughts ravished and tortured him again, thrashing inside his cranium like an angry hornet stuck in a jar.

Did Lady Medusa ever do that with him? Did it even cross her mind to? What…what did she do when he cried? He didn't remember how he had gotten a few scars, and every scar he made upon himself was remembered with deep-rooted shame. But the explanation of some eluded him.

Was…was that the way she would shush him to sleep? To be quiet? Was he that much of a disgusting creature?

Medusa never showed him the loving affection Marie did, nor did she ever grant him such a peaceful resonance of souls. She was simply his tool, a puppet in a mass of flesh made by her only to be used for her selfish desire. His own mother…

A sob hitched against his lungs. The troubles racked his brain invoking a painful pulsation in his cranium. Love was there in his friends, in Maka, in this place he could call a home. But the thirst of his own mother's love dried his throat and soul, knowing he'll never receive the affection. No matter what sadistic and cruel things his own blood did to him, the tiniest speck of love for her still survived.

Medusa was an incarnation of evil in its purest form, the devil in disguise… but she was family. He couldn't deprive his own family from love. As much as he hated it he just…_couldn't_.

His tears spilled across his cheeks and his hands clutched the towel tighter around him as he wept. His rigid shoulders hunched forward as he sunk into himself, his chin touching his chest so the wet rivers could drip onto his thick robe, soaking up his liquid sorrow. He sobbed quietly like he always did, careful not to make too much noise as he inhaled for desperate breaths. He didn't want to trouble Professor Marie, didn't' want her to hear his pitiful cries as she basked in her embrace with her baby. He wasn't worth the trouble …he never would be.

His grip became tighter and his breath caught sharply in shock as a cold chill entered the air of the lab, the front door opening to a visitor.

* * *

The rain just never seemed to let up.

For hours now the rare and extraordinarily odd Nevada storm soaked the town below and the people outside with it. Civilians rushed into coffee shops and bookstores to hide from the rain in leisure, hoping it would halt soon so they may venture home with non-damp clothes. Although the man walking through the wet streets was no climatologist, he concluded that this peculiar rain would not cease as soon as people wished. The sky was consumed in a thick sheet of blackened grey, the clouds above appearing bulbously engorged and eager to free themselves from their water. Even if he couldn't pry into it with his hands, observing the interestingly unpredictable changes of the weather was intriguing. It's not every day you get a heavy rainstorm in the dry desert month of July.

The umbrella held above Stein's head hummed with the rain pouring down upon it, water falling down the sides in small cascades as his shoes slapped into puddles as he walked. He inhaled another drag from his cigarette, allowing the heat and drug to soothe him as he ventured home.

Smoking was a nasty habit; you didn't have to be a scientist like him to understand that. Old habits were simply hard to break. He didn't dare smoke in his house with his wife and baby inside; he didn't even try to smoke outside the house. He was trying to stop, but it was one of the things that kept his mind at ease whenever the bright wavelengths of his loved ones weren't near. Even with the potent wavelengths of the Madness gone and the condition being easier to manage, his old self was stubborn and it always tried to escape.

Stein inhaled another relaxing gust of nicotine as he walked through the streets to approach the gates of Patchwork lab, holding a bag of groceries to his chest. He looked at his watch and frowned in discontent of loosing precious time.

This is the punishment he gets for procrastinating buying milk. The excitement of attaining a new specimen enthralled him enough to distract him from Marie's request to go to the store. The mammal retrieved after the young Kim Diehl's group training in the desert had peaked his interest. An intrigued grin formed on his face as he thought of the report, the smile twitching.

Dangerous creatures resided in the desert. You'd have to be a fool to not know that. And a particularly menacing beast stalked the elite group as they trained to perfect their group resonance. Normally lantern fire from Jacqueline drew away the territorial seven-foot long mountain felines that littered the region and often times they paid no mind to the students as long as they eluded their claimed lands…but this one was, as Oxford described, different.

He took another drag from his cigarette analyzing their report. Apparently the creature didn't even react to the fire warnings as many other of its comrades did, it simply continued through the flames without hesitation, without care its furred and battle-scarred flesh was being burned harshly as it drew closer. He exhaled a gust of smoke. He couldn't see it from the carcass, but Oxford mentioned the normal yellow iris of this mountain lion appeared wide, sunken, the other eye morphed into an odd shape and was eerily focused on the group. Kim claimed she thought it was sick and turned to Ox to back her up in her hypothesis to the creature's odd behavior. Big mistake.

Stein inhaled another warm cloud of nicotine. She was lucky the Cougar didn't catch her and tear off her arm as it leapt for her when her guard was dropped. If it hadn't been for Oxford keeping suspicion and quickly impaling the creature with his thunder weapon as Jacqueline blasted lantern fire, Kim could have succumbed to the iron clamp and shredding might of a Cougar's jaw, an experience not even a regenerative witch should endure.

He exhaled again. Then she had Oxford help bring the charred carcass to him, hoping he could help find the cause of the eye oddity and see if some sort of disease was hurting this animal. He saw the genuine concern in her bright green eyes as she asked him and he smiled. She truly was a caring soul, much unlike her corrupt and destructive magical counterparts Stein had encountered in the past.

The demented grin that felt so comfortable against his face sharpened his lips, his teeth biting down hard in his jaw as his joviality to dig into the beast rose. A warped eye is already enough reason for suspicion, but the described behavior was…exceedingly interesting. Fire was one of an animal's greatest fear and to walk through it with none present was either an odd beast or one that had seen many harsh days. The marred coat of the beast was badly burnt, but that was only the outside. Inside the being was still rare, its entrails still capable to be researched and information collected. The answer to why the creature acted so oddly was most likely not on its outside, but by its informing entrails.

The grin furthered higher, almost reaching his ears. He was desperately eager to find out more. Perhaps a blood or tissue sample could shed some light on this animal.

Stein softened the grin spreading across his face as he stood outside the iron door of his home. He allowed his cigarette to fall and crunched it under his shoe. He shook off his wet shoes and struggled to bring the umbrella back into its slim position. He grumbled to himself as he shifted his groceries to different places across his chest. The damn thing almost always got stuck, and it had to choose a time like this to act up and delay him further from his studies.

Stein's frown only deepened as a familiar sharp wail filled his ears. He heard a light thump from the inside of the house and what seemed to be Marie talking. If the rain hadn't been so loud he could make out her words, but the storm didn't stop its angry barrage. He mentally scolded himself and rushed to search for his keys. The baby was probably hungry and here he was standing outside with food and struggling to find his keys.

Damn it, what more could happen tonight?

He finally found his keys and managed to get the umbrella to retreat from a large tent into its shriveled state. As he aimed for the keyhole, he heard the crying dwindle then cease completely. Curious, he looked up and focused with his Soul Perception to glance into his baby's room.

He saw the tiny soul of his child hovering next to a sunnier soul, a soul he knew belonged to Marie. The fluttering panic was receding quickly, and began to harmonize with the larger soul, soothing it, dancing with it. He couldn't help but smile. The harmonizing souls of parent and child truly was a beautiful sight.

He directed his head back toward the door, turned the key, and entered his home, the door opening with a loud creek.

There, in the middle of his lab, stood a familiar pink-haired boy whose face glistened with tears and his breath in gasping, shallow gulps, his hands clenching a green blanket around him tightly and his chin sunk into his chest.

Stein inched his head to the side, puzzled. "Crona?"

The boy snapped out of his trance and turned his head to face him. Stein's young student seemed to tense as he stared at him with a confused expression, wondering why he was crying.

"Professor S-Stein..."Crona said in a small voice. He turned his head and wiped the tears staining his face. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on you."

"You don't intrude on us." Stein replied matter-of-factly. "Marie and I have told you that numerous times."

The boy made no response. He kept his gaze away and movement shifted underneath the green blanket draped over his shoulders.

He must have been the one Marie was talking to. His wet hair assisted in making his hairstyle more irregular: his hair being matted against the sides of his face and his bangs drying in messy curves across his forehead. The poor kid must have walked through the rainstorm.

But why? He just returned from his mission; he never went anywhere except home after he completed them.

Something was amiss.

His concern only furthered when he spotted a dark bruise forming on his cheek, a feat which was almost impossible through black blood hardening. The Kishin egg must have been powerful.

Stein closed the door behind him, gifting the room once more with warmth generated from the heater. He placed his umbrella on a nearby table and put his groceries in a lab freezer containing refrigerating tissue samples. Not the best place for milk and food, but he'd find a better place later. His baby was attended to, but another child he felt belonged to him was in need.

"Looks like I rushed in here for nothing." Stein said, breaking the silence and a ghost of a smile creeping up. "Marie always beats me to it."

Crona peeked through choppy pink bangs to look at him, a slight raise of eyebrows in confusion. Stein pointed upwards and the boy's eyes widened a bit in realization, quickly lowering his sight to the floor. It seemed the adolescent was still uncomfortable with family related topics. The tension in his body and shivering soul proved so. It was to be expected.

Analyzing the wavelength of his frantic soul further, his curiosity towards Crona's duress furthered, watching as the pink soul of the meister was riddled with fear and fluttered and shook inside him.

"Crona, is everything alright?" Stein asked, keeping his neutral tone.

The meister flinched at the sound of his name and trembled lightly, shaking his head. His chest appeared to move as he opened a hole in the towel around him, revealing a brown package emerging from the gap.

"Lord Death a-asked me to bring this to you." Crona muttered quietly, keeping his gaze averted. "It's the parcel I found… from my mission. I-I thought I should give it to you now."

The brightness of light reflected off Stein's lenses, his eyes unable to be seen from the glare. He was a master of an impassive glance, his face always blank to emotion. The characteristic did nothing but frighten Crona more as he extended the parcel.

"You didn't have to bring that now." Stein's said. "You should have brought it over tomorrow."

The boy's head lowered farther, his grip causing the package to tremble with him. "I-I know but I thought you needed it…"

"I do. But it could have waited, we told you to get your rest."

Again, Crona's chin sunk into his chest. A silence surrounded the room as they stood across from the other.

Stein adjusted his glasses and pulled out a swivel chair from the desk nearby. He sat with his chest against the back rest and his hands in his lap. The glare from his glasses shined away from one lens, showing his impassive stare."Is there something you'd like to tell me, Crona?"Stein inquired.

Crona's didn't move. His visible shaking morphed into a frozen stasis, standing still forever like a marble statue. A small gulp seemed to slither down his gullet as his dark eyes moved to look at him. Stein kept the emotion free gaze, but the boy's growing tension proved he knew Stein was observing every part of him, body and soul.

"N-No…W-What makes you think something's wrong?" He replied, giving Stein an obviously fake smile.

Stein placed his forearms on the top of the backseat of his chair. "Well, even for a caring soul like yourself, it's odd that you would walk out in the pouring rain after your mission. Especially after Lord Death informed me he instructed you to go home immediately to rest and that I'd have the package at a later date. It also helps to know that you're a terrible liar." Crona flinched at his remark and attempted to pull the towel over his face, covering his blush. Stein lowered his gaze and raised a grey eyebrow. "It's even odder that you aren't home with Maka after your missions, as is your routine. Whenever you complete a mission you practically run there."

Crona's shoulders arched forward sharply underneath the blanket upon his mention of Maka, his body shaking with the bright green towel drying the young man trembling with him. Stein's brows collected together, shocked. The mention of Maka never induced a negative and panicked response from Crona. The effect was the polar opposite; sun beams of happiness should be glistening off his soul, not flashes of fear.

"I...I just thought you'd need it…s-so I came over to give it to you." Crona said quietly, his voice shaking. "T-That's all."

"I see." Stein reached up to crank the bolt contained in his skull. "You know, I'm here to help you when you need it. And if I've began to learn or understand anything about parental instincts, I can tell when they're informing me you came here in search of help, not just delivering a package."He leaned forward in his chair. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

Crona continued his rigid, shivering stance, not moving from his spot. He seemed to be debating whether or not to acknowledge Stein's previous claim or question, his mouth trembling and tongue creeping out to moisten his lips. He gulped and looked away, not saying a word.

Stein allowed a few more moments to pass and let out a defeated sigh, closing his eyes as the boy refused to answer. "Then again, you also don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just concerned about your mental health. If you'd like to tell me, my ears are always available for listening."

No response.

Stein turned toward the kitchen door and scooted across the room in his chair. "You can have the room upstairs if you'd like to stay the night. The storm has gotten quite violent. Would you like some more tea? I bet Marie still has the pot on the stove."

Silence.

"I see. Well I'll bring something just in case. I'll be back in-"

…wait" Crona mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

Stein placed his feet on the ground to halt his chair's movements. He kept his back to the adolescent, waiting for him, knowing if he were to make one false move or saying, the boy would snap back inside his shell like a frightened turtle.

It took a few more minutes for Crona to collect himself with Stein keeping his silence, allowing him as much time as he needed.

"T-There…"He paused, trying to steady his ragged breathing. "I..."

Stein continued to wait.

"…there is…something."

Stein's eyebrows raised slightly, and he slowly turned back to face the sword meister. Crona had wrapped the blanket tight around him, almost as if it was a cocoon of protection for him. His hands underneath the towel brought the soft materials up to his face to wipe away his tears. His puffy eyes began to dart back and forth in the room in search of something, panic rising on his face.

"If you need a corner to help ease you, there's one beside my computer desk."

The pink-haired boy lowered his head in a nod and trudged toward the corner. He sighed as he laid his back against the folded crease, the towel falling to the floor as he released it. Crona slipped down until his rump met with a gentle thud on the ground and brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

Stein slowly swiveled over and stopped at a safe distance to not intrude on the boy's space. He observed the swordsman's soul was slowly calming, the bright beams of fear turning into a dulled shimmer coating his soul.

"Start from wherever you're comfortable." Stein coaxed gently. "There's no rush."

Crona's head rested on his forearms and tightened his hold on his knees.

Stein waited.

The sword meister moistened his dry lips with his tongue and swallowed hard. A hoarse choke escaped his seemingly dry throat as his mouth moved to form words. He shook his head and tried again.

"It…it happened after I retrieved the parcel…"He started.


	3. Demons

Stein sat across from a trembling Crona who huddled in his corner of comfort. His watch beeped in unison with the thunder and lightning clapping outside; nature itself seemingly acknowledging the striking of a new hour as his wrist-piece did: 10:00 pm. Stein kept his calm gaze as he stared at the young man, his neutrally composed expression disguising the anxious stir in his gut, yearning for the boy before him to end his fifteen minute silence and voice the words his stuttering mouth struggled to pronounce. As he continued to wait, the skin beneath his eye twitched with curiosity, eager to pinpoint the source of Crona's distress. Meanwhile, Crona's lowered head rested against the knees of his legs that he held so tight to his chest, small hitches of breath leaving him as he failed to speak again.

Stein blinked as his mind hypothesized. Knowing Crona, it was difficult for him to be so upfront with subjects that truly bothered him, always claiming he was fine when he wasn't; an emotional tactic that Stein also used. That was possibly one reason why he struggled to find his words, the boy stuttering and squeaking from his unknown turmoil. Stein understood. After years of being raised by a cold-blooded snake witch who tortured and starved him into mind-breaking submission, it's natural to struggle in finding your voice to speak against or about the pain.

So instead of a direct approach on the matter, Stein hypothesized another tactic that may help lead himself into voicing his angst, to calm himself in the eye of his mind's storm before more turbulence and electric storms uprooted. Crona mentioned his problem occurred after his mission, so maybe he could start before then, hours before.

He cranked his bolt and leaned in on his chair. He hoped his prediction would work.

"If it discomforts you to say it upfront, perhaps we can find another way." Stein proposed. He pointed a finger towards the parcel still clenched to Crona's chest. "You told me it happened after your mission. So for now, why don't we start with a debriefing on your encounter with the knight and the parcel? We can kill two birds with one stone that way."

Crona's eye peaked up at him through messy bangs, marginally confused and horrified by his statement. Stein supposed that even after two years he still hadn't managed to understand all idioms. Again, with his background, it was understandable.

"It means that I can learn about your mission and what followed after it. Possibly the issue that's troubling you."

Crona kept his head on the forearms atop his knees as he began to tremble again. But Stein saw his head move in a small nod of understanding, hiccupping softly.

"As I said before, there's no rush. Take all the time you need."

Crona inhaled a large breath, his body shuddering as his chest rose. He exhaled and brought his face up, his turbulent eyes focusing and his brow scrunching as he researched his memories.

He swallowed and began to speak, "…I-I found him in Death Valley."

* * *

**6 hours earlier**

"No left!" Ragnorak yelled. "I said _left_ you idiot!"

"I know I know!" Crona yelled back.

Crona gripped the hilt of his sword as he raised it to block the swiping attack from the Kishin egg's thick battle axe. Their metal clashed, and sparks flew off the warrior's blades as the fighters shifted their weight onto one another, leaning back and forth on the balls of their feet from their struggle. The monster loomed over Crona, his face blocked by his obsidian-colored helmet, and the single opening crease over his eyes blazing red like rubies; a metallic cackle vibrated inside his charcoal armor. The Black Knight's shielded fingers tightened around his axe's hilt as he put more pressure on it, pushing his massive weight onto Crona. Laughter thundered inside his metal covering as Crona shrunk underneath the warriors might, struggling to keep him at bay. He gritted his teeth in physical anguish from the knight's strength and his eyes shook with malice, desperately wanting to end the hunt of the daunting pre-demon he searched so hard for.

"You possess such a fear-stained soul, boy."The knight boomed, his tone low and dark. "Men with souls like yours aren't meant to be meisters. You belong with me, with my kind." Crona's glare intensified as he heard an audible smack of a tongue across lips beneath the helmet. "Why don't you let me eat your soul? Then you can be with us always!"

The Black Knight lifted his battle axe and harried a belligerent mass of attacks toward the boy, swiping and slashing the hefty blade to strike a devastating laceration onto his opponent. Crona managed to block the quick strikes, dodging or parrying each attack with the swings of his sword and side stepping the thick slices propelled at him. Their blades contacted again, rubbing sharply against the other as the warriors attempted to find an opening.

As Crona held the thick blade at bay with Ragnorak's sword form, the knight drew up sand from the course puddle below him with his plated foot, kicking a dust cloud into Crona's face. Involuntarily, Crona flinched, squeezing his eyes shut and coughing harshly from the thick specks invading and stinging his nostrils and sight.

Quickly realizing his sudden flinching, Crona's eyes shot open, horrified of his lowered guard. He saw a sharp glint of red shine through the helmet's trench as the knight sighted an opening, a loud roar erupting from his throat in triumph. Before Crona could block, the egg drew back a fist, the collection of metal fingers tightening together and brutally swiped it against Crona's cheek. A sharp pain filled his left cheek as the pre-demon's plated gauntlet made contact with his face, racking his skull with burning and jolting pain.

Crona's back slammed to the rocky ground with a harsh _THUD_, his head bumping against the hard floor and pulsing with pain. Before he could lift himself, a sabatoned foot rested itself on his chest, applying crushing pressure onto him. Crona cried out in pain from the powerful compression, his ribs and lungs feeling like they were being flattened beneath the pressure.

The Black Knight chuckled lowly, pushing down harder. "You're pathetic. Good meisters must be in low stock these days. You little hounds haven't given me a good challenge in years." He applied more pressure onto Crona and he howled in pain again, his hands pushing up against the unmoving metal boot to lift him off. "Your body is so flimsy and frail, like the toothpick I spat out after lunch. And people call _you_ the Demon Swordsman? _Ha_."

He slammed his plated foot down onto Crona again, making painful shockwaves shake his innards and cause him to nearly scream in pain. The knight then grabbed his head with shielded fingers and raised his body from the ground, cold metal gripping tightly at his hair and skull.

"A scrawny and cowering whelp like you doesn't _deserve_ such a name!"

He threw Crona with massive strength, soaring him off the small cliff of a rock formation they fought upon and into a towering dune of sand below. The Kishin egg blared with mocking laughter, his amusement thundering in the quiet desert evening. He paced the cliff with his obsidian-colored amour clinking and clacking under him, his shoulders and hips swaying dramatically from his powerful body being concealed in restrictive plating.

"I mean _look at you_." He snarked, gazing toward the ruptured dune. "You're nothing but a collection of twigs formed into a skeleton. Your very muscles cover your fragile bones like paper. The fact that you can even hold that weapon is remarkable."Crona coughed and glared as the red shine in the knight's helmet's groove flared brighter, his hands firm on his axe and his derisive laughter growing in volume. "I'm amazed you spent nearly a month in search of me. The academy must be more interested in my activities to my master than I thought."

He cocked his head to the side, watching as the dune containing Crona stirred, pouring rivulets of sand faster down its slopes. The Black Knight chuckled menacingly as Crona moved underneath. "The absolute _nerve_ of you. I'm insulted the academy sent such a pitiful boy after a man of my infamous stature. Just who do you bastards think you're dealing with?" The Black Knight planted his feet into the flat bed of rock below him, preparing himself as he sensed his opponent's wavelength starting to resonate beneath the mound of sand. He tightened his hold on the axe's staff and watched as he gathered his strength. "My master entrusts no gift to the pitiful insects who cannot protect it!"

"_Screech Alpha!"_ Crona shouted. A thick, black and purple cloud erupted from the dune, shooting towards the knight at a daunting speed as the piercing sound lifted the sand atop him into the air.

The knight snarled as he brought his axe to the right of his body, almost as if preparing to swing a bat, his fingers clutching his fierce weapon.

"_This is child's play!"_The Kishin egg roared. He swung his axe quickly and the blade met with the side of the open mouth-shaped projectile.

The skull-shaped creature began to crack at the contact, causing the knight to begin laughing again, pushing more of his overwhelming strength against the black mass as he prepared to propel the cloud back to its origins.

Then the creature's breaking jaw latched itself onto his weapon, enveloping as much as it could into its slightly crushed maw, keeping its hold like a crocodile to its caught prey.

"What?" The knight grunted.

The crimson eyes of the Kishin eggs widened as he assumed the worst. He quickly turned away to shield his face with his arm as the black formation exploded in a cloud of purple and black. The rock formation cracked and tumbled underneath him and a plume of dust and sand lifted into the air as the rocks and the knight fell.

"Did we get him?"An eager Ragnorak asked.

Crona winced as he rubbed his cheek, his chest still aching from a pressure that almost squashed him flat. Ragnorak had been able to harden the blood there to give him a cushion, but they both still throbbed painfully. Normally the bluntness of hits and crushings were dulled by Ragnorak's hardening, but this one managed to break through it…he broke through his solidified blood with a simple punch and from pressure off one_ foot_. There was no Soul Force to assist in liquefying his blood, no electric jolt of pain, it was pure strength.

Crona wiped his cheek, and clenched his jaw tighter to ease his nerves, his teeth chattering. This Kishin egg was more powerful than the common murderers he had faced.

"I-I don't know."Crona replied. "Let's see. Bring them out."

"Pheh." Ragnorak scoffed. "Yeah yeah, pester the slave, fine. I still say you're nuts for using them with the small amount of souls we have."

"Just _do it_. We can have an advantage in the air...I can handle it."

Ragnorak snorted but complied. With enough training and a few Kishin souls collected, Crona had managed to allow the black wings to rise from his shoulder blades, slightly whimpering from the pain as they emerged. He would never achieve the size of Ragnorak's wings after they had indulged a ship full of human souls, but they could create a size that could support him in midair from the few souls collected in previous missions. It expended quite a bit of energy, but as long as he didn't use it often, he would be fine. He just had to stay focused the entire time, focus on the objective and manage the power with all his strength; with that, he could control it.

Ragnorak flapped the black bloodied wings and launched Crona into the air, hovering over the mass of dust and rock below them, the inclined rock formation now in shambles.

"See 'The Black Queer' yet?" Ragnorak asked.

"No, nothing. M-Maybe-"

Crona stopped as his instinct overtook him, quickly maneuvering him in midair to dodge a spinning object being thrown at him. His gut turned hollow as the cracked axe blade whirred and whistled in the air, oddly curving and retracting back to its origin like a boomerang. It vanished into the cloud of dust spreading across the rocky landscape. A portion of the cloud became dark and like a monster emerging from water, a black form rose from the plume, angry and in search of blood.

"You little_ pest_." The Kishin egg spat. As the dust cleared, Crona saw a chunk of the helmet shielding the knight's face had disappeared, revealing his snarling and salivating mandible. Thick scars resembling a maze of tunnels marred his revealed cheek, almost curving up and down into a rounded 'w' and extending into the remains of his helmet. His ruby-colored eyes were now wide and fuming with blood-lust, his peculiar pupils shaking with it. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

The blast had stripped the warrior's right arm of its armor and left it in bloody shreds with the limb dangling limply at his side. The left handed grip on the knight's weapon shook with rage. "I'll teach you. I'll teach you why you don't_ screw _with _me_!"

The knight quickly launched himself into the air, his eyes consumed in vengeance as he swiped his axe across the air toward Crona's head. The sword meister cried out in terror at the knight's quick speed and quickly dodged.

Seeing the knight begin to lift up his leg, Crona quickly shielded his stomach with Ragnorak as a swift kick was brought down onto his gut by a metal foot. The kick didn't hurt, but the hard impact against the sand did. A groan left Crona as his back and head throbbed in pain, pain thundering against his temples as he lay against the coarse pillow of sand below him.

"Damn it Crona!" Ragnorak screeched. "Get your ass in gear! If I didn't take that prick's kick like a bitch then neither should you. _I'm_ the one who got kicked in the face here! How do you think I'm feeling?!"

Crona nodded and began to lift himself slowly. The wings had retreated into his back and the knight had fallen graciously onto the sand, pacing back and forth in a dance of eager dismemberment.

"Let us end this, boy." The knight growled. He twirled the axe in his left palm and brought the hilt down to the floor sharply, like a king slamming his scepter to the ground in command for order."I've had enough of you. I have a mission to carry out for my mistress, and I shall not fail her."

Crona's dark eyes swirled ominously as he clenched Ragnorak tighter, lowering his head. "I do too." He growled back. "And I won't fail _her_." He crouched and swiped Ragnorak to his right side, his left hand gripping his arm to steady his limb for his partner's resonance. "Scream resonance."

Spittle splashed through the air as Ragnorak conjured a piercing scream to vibrate the air with Crona preparing to charge. The Black Knight smirked with his razor sharp teeth and licked the corner of his carnivorous face.

"It's going to be lovely indulging your soul, boy." The knight cackled. He crouched in a lunging position and twirled his axe in a circle, gaining momentum on his metal blade. "I'll savor every bit."

The warriors lunged at each other screaming their battle cries.

The knight caught his spinning axe and swung it against the vibrating Demon Sword; a gust of wind engulfed the air as the metal clashed with a deafening _CLANK_. Sparks flew as the two struggled, their limbs darting forward in an attempt to land a strike on the other.

As they brawled against weight and punches, Crona motioned an elbow forward, hoping to strike a hardened blood blow into the knight's stomach. But with a fluid fighting grace, the knight dodged swiftly. Seeing an opening from Crona's new position, the knight brought his plated knee up into the sword meister's gut, causing an eruption of black blood to escape his mouth.

"_And now you die!"_The knight bellowed, he kicked the swordsman away from him and brought his axe above his head while Crona's gaurd was down.

A feeling of slow motion consumed Crona's senses as he watched thick driblets fall to the sandy floor, running down his parted lips to form a small puddle beneath him. He stared, mesmerized, and felt his eyes glaze over as he spotted flying black specks in the air. A crazed grin stretched across his face as he observed the liquid his body contained. He peaked up to the knight with his eyes now glistening with barely contained madness.

"Did you know my blood is black?" Crona sneered, his tone laced with insane mirth as he looked up with grey, shifting eyes.

The Black Knight let out a roar of fury as the slow motion ebbed, bringing his axe down like a hammer to a nail.

"_Bloody Needles_."

Large ebon spikes protruded from the floating specks and pool below Crona, shooting into the air and striking through the knight's thick armor with ease. The knight became frozen as did his previously descending weapon, his red eyes widening and his mouth gurgling with thick sounds while his body stood through the support of the needles piercing him, slicing through his limbs and torso. The knight struggled still, blood spilling from his wounds as he attempted to wriggle out of the needles, his legs twitching and hips jerking. Even though the finished knight was mortally wounded, his vindictive desire still ran strong.

As he continued to struggle out of the needle's impaling grip, a brown rectangle slid from underneath the warrior's protective plating, falling to the sand and lifting a cloud of particles into the air as it thumped against it. He growled loudly upon it falling and only struggled further, his eyes wide with what seemed to be horror and rage.

Crona lifted a hand up and pushed the blade above his head away with a finger, the eerie grin still plastered to his face. He cocked his head to the side as he swayed, looking downwards curiously at the parcel that the knight was so interested with. Grinning, he dangled his limbs down and grabbed the brown package, his glazed eyes scanning it.

"This seems like an interesting toy." Crona giggled oddly, his grin twitching. He shook it back and forth in front of the Kishin egg, taunting him with it. "I'll take it."

The knight's odd blood-red eyes narrowed and his visible mouth twisted into a predatory snarl. "Beware boy, this won't be the last you hear of my kind. We won't rest and none of you will be spared until we find that-."

A bellow of agony erupted from the knight's throat as the needles dug deeper, a hovering droplet sinking its spiked needle end into one of his ruby eyes.

"I'm tired of listening to you talk…"Crona muttered, his tone flat and eerie.

The knight looked down on the boy, still stuck with his arm raised and his remaining eye glinting dangerously.

"So, you are a demon after all, snake-witch whelp." The knight said, spewing particles of blood over his emphasis of the last word.

Crona's mad grin began to curl down as he moved backwards, his pink bangs falling into his eyes as his statement sunk in. He lifted Ragnorak up and peered through the choppy locks to gaze at him, his clouded eyes slowly returning to a determined dark-tinted blue.

"I'm learning to deal with it."Crona replied.

Crona brought the sword down against the Kishin egg's chest and watched as The Black Knight's red blotched soul floated from his dissipating body. Ragnorak's tongue shot out from the blade and wrapped itself around the soul. He shot it back into his mouth and let out a satisfied belch.

Ragnorak dissolved from Crona's grasp and retreated into his body, leaving him to stand alone in the desert. A wave of fatigue ran through his muscles, causing him to fall to his knees and bow his head, the package falling to the sand.

A month; it took a month of traveling from South America back to North America to find this troublesome and constantly moving Kishin egg. After weeks of scanning the suspected areas, spottings, and killings in Chile, Brazil, and even upper Mexico, he finally found him in Death Valley. They were all nice places, each having their own sense of beauty, but one couldn't enjoy it when you had to stop a restless murderer terrorizing towns.

A chill skittered down his spine as the cold desert air breezed over his face, causing him to hold himself with his arms, rubbing his hands against them.

The mission was finished. After all those sleepless nights and busy days of searching, he could go home. He was tired of being on his own again, he hated it. He hated even more that the small mirror he held wasn't enough for him to see and talk to his friends, to Maka. It made his heart ache and split in not being able to touch her every time he saw her, his soul screaming in his chest for her gentle wavelength to soothe and comfort him, to make him feel whole once more.

He sighed in longing and took himself out of his thoughts as he curiously glanced at the package on the floor, looking at it carefully. The egg mentioned he also had a mission, a mission to someone and this was involved. His eyes also emanated hatred and anger when he had taken it.

Crona lifted a tentative hand from his arm to reach down to pick up the parcel, intently scanning it. The needles didn't manage to pierce it and it looked to be the size of a fairly large textbook, but it rattled and clunked with something as he moved it. It was hollow, a box maybe? He noticed the folded crease on the top of the package and pinched his fingers against the end, trying to pull upwards, but it didn't lift. It was like it was glued shut and a familiar sensation tingled on his fingers as he grasped it.

He gulped. Too nervous to carry on opening the odd parcel, Crona placed it on his lap and took the mirror out of his robe's pocket and breathed on it. He lifted up a finger to write in the fog. The mirror blipped like ripples across water's surface and light filled the frame.

"H-Hello?"Crona said. "Lord Death?"

"Well howdy!" Lord Death replied, his comical and cracked skull mask bouncing with his body. "What's up? Good to see ya! How did your mission go?"

Crona gave him a small nervous smile. "W-We were able to track down the Kishin egg and collect his soul."

"Excellent work!" Lord Death applauded. He gave him a gloved thumbs-up in happiness. "I must say, you had me worried for a little while. It seems this Black Knight was a lot more cunning than we gave him credit for. He must have been a very powerful opponent and very tricky to find."

"Y-Yes, sir." The sword meister replied while rubbing his cheek. His hand came away with black blood from the knight's knee blow.

"Are you alright, Crona?" Lord Death asked, his head cocking to the side. "Not only do you look disheveled, but you're bleeding."He paused again, letting out a puzzled sound. "And your face seems bruised."

"I-I'm fine. Ragnorak hardened most of his hits. It doesn't hurt that much…sir?"

"Yes?"

"I also found this." He lifted the rectangular package up for the Shinigami to see. "The Kishin egg dropped it from his armor."

Lord Death's head inched farther to the side in wonder, a hum of interest vibrating in his covered throat.

"Fell out of his armor, you say?"

"Yes, sir."

"I see." The God of Death brought up a large finger to put under his chin, thinking. "Did the egg mention anything regarding it?"

Crona furrowed his brows in thought, thinking back to the eggs comments. "H-He mentioned something about a mistress…something about a gift she gave him. He had a mission."

"Anything else?"

Crona shuddered at the daunting memory of the knight's glowing eyes as he spoke his vengeance. "He...he said that he wasn't the last of his kind. T-That they would find this…that they wouldn't stop until they did…I-I can't remember anything else."

"I see, very interesting. This pre-demon never ceases to astound me." The Shinigami looked over at Crona and spoke in a brightened tone, as if to cheer him up. "Don't worry, there's nothing to fear. I'm sure he was just trying to give you a good scare. The poor sports always love to get the last laugh when they see they're finished. Most likely he was simply protecting a box full of trophies that he took from the poor souls he chased after."

Crona nodded in agreement, his stomach tightening into a slick knot at the thought. Some Kishin eggs were more brutal than others. If they didn't devour the victim's souls, they would gather something else from the poor people's bodies. The items were as grotesque and poorly hacked off like the dismembered items Medusa used to fill her magic cauldron.

He shuddered at the thought of her and Lord Death spoke again, "However, I would like Stein to take a look at whatever is contained in there. If it is my assumption of it being revolting trophies, I'd rather he open it than you. His stomach is particularly strong with these types of things."

He nodded again.

"This day just keeps getting more interesting. So! Why don't we get you home to rest then, hmm? After a month of working so hard you've earned it. I'll send a transport toward you to pick you up. I can only imagine how cold it is in that troublesome desert."

He hesitated, his shyness and fear of possible burdening returning to him. "I don't want to impose…I c-can just use the Black Dragon wings. The city isn't that far of a distance."

"Are you sure? You look quite tired and that action expends an awful amount of energy. I don't want you overexerting yourself."

Crona averted his gaze with a look of guilt. He appreciated Lord Death's concern, but it only seemed to make him feel like even more of imposition. Their care was something he still didn't feel he deserved, and perhaps never would.

Lord Death paused, almost in awareness of his feelings and raised a gloved hand in approval. "Well, if you say you can use it, then I don't doubt you! When you get here, head straight home. I bet Maka and the others will be glad to see you. I'll inform Stein of the news. Try dropping it off to him sometime tomorrow and get plenty of rest. Good work!"

The mirror clicked off, leaving Crona alone. He stood there for awhile with a small smile starting to creep up on his lips.

He could go home now; Maka and his friends were waiting for him.

"Hurry up will ya?" Ragnorak grunted from inside his body. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling like a good steak with a fat buttery potato and the works right now. The Mexican food we've been getting is nice and all, but I don't think it settles well with your stomach. Your ass was like a trumpet spewing out harmonical symphonies off one bean burrito."

Crona blushed, embarrassed. "Well don't _tell_ anyone that."

Ragnorak cackled in amusement. "I don't know, it was _prettyyy_ funny. It sounds like a good story for the dinner table if you ask me."

"Will a bag of candy keep this under wraps…?"

'Make it three bags sided with that steak and you got yourself a deal. Not only did I have to deal with you blasting nasty farts, but I also work the wings like your slave too, dumbass."

Crona sighed and nodded in agreement. He was too cold and tired to argue and he didn't like the growls of predators he heard in the distance. He'd do anything just to get out of here.

He shuddered and allowed the eruption of wings from his back. His wings flapped gently on the ground, lifting him into the air. They ascended and left to his small camp nearby to where his bag of clothes and gear lay. Once he swooped in to grab it, Crona lifted into the evening sky to return to Death City.

* * *

A sigh of exhaustion escaped Crona as he landed on top of his apartment building. He was starting to regret not taking Lord Death up on his offer on a transport. It was exhausting, even with the fairly short distance. His wings shot back into him and he fell shakily on his feet.

"Finally!"Ragnorak shouted. "That only took two freaking hours. Next time you want to go back home from someplace far away, take the transport!" The sword hit his meister on top of his head. "I'm exhausted too ya know! Imposing my ass, do you have any idea how much work it is to keep us in the air off so little souls we collected?" He banged his head again, crushing his fist against it. "A lot of work that's what!"

"O-ow."Crona winced holding his aching head in his hands. The blow from the Kishin egg still hammered against the insides of his head with his chest still aching. Even if it was a noogie from Ragnorak, pain still shook through his tired body.

"Now get inside. It's freezing out here. Damn clouds, don't you rain on us yet!"

Crona rubbed the back of his head as he looked up. He was too focused on flying to notice the forming storm clouds above and the rising gusts of wind. He quickly ran to the entrance on top of the building and hurried inside the door, down the stairway to the apartments below.

As he ran down the steps, he felt his soul become alight with happiness, a giddy sensation mixed with eagerness and excitement to see his beloved pumping in his chest and legs as they guided him to his apartment. Maka was close, he could feel it. He ran faster through the halls and stairs as he rushed to his floor. He could never forget that sunny wavelength that was so closely bonded to his own, especially when it was getting closer and closer to him. When Crona finally reached the door, he hurriedly searched his bag for his key.

Ragnorak snorted as Crona took a breath before entering. "I'm not sticking around for this crappy sappy reunion. Just remember, _steak and toffees_."

Ragnorak dissolved into Crona's spine as he shakily opened the door, an excited smile on his face.

As the door opened, Crona found the apartment dark, the living room was empty and so was the kitchen; it didn't appear like anyone was home. He frowned, it was impossible. He knew she was here, he felt it.

His eyes scanned around the apartment as he closed the door quietly behind him, his grip tight against the black knapsack he carried and the parcel. His eyebrows lifted slightly in slight realization; maybe she was sleeping, it was getting a little late after all.

A soft sound caught his attention as he looked toward the hallway, a small yellow beam traveled across the floor like a pole of light. His confusion furthered as he heard what he thought was labored hiccups and a voice. The voice was deep but familiar. Soul? If Soul was talking then who was-?

Crona tensed and his heart stopped. Did something happen? Was something wrong with Maka? He had been gone for over a month, that's a good time span for something to happen.

He inhaled a shaky breath as he quietly made his way across the living room. Normally he'd never eavesdrop on people's conversations, but when it was involving Maka, his caring of the rules were nonexistent.

He placed his bag on the couch but kept the package close to him, almost unconsciously keeping it close as a possible stress ball. He continued quietly across the living room and toward the hall. The hitches of shaky breaths grew more frequent as he approached, a groan which he knew belonged to Soul seemed to respond. Crona's heart beat faster and his nerves raged. What was wrong?

"I can't Soul." Maka, that was Maka's voice. "I can't do this. I'm not ready."

"Stop it." Soul immediately replied. "Stop it right now and quit being so negative. I can understand if it was Crona but not from you. It's going to be fine."

"That's easy for_ you_ to say."Maka seemed to be getting angrier, her tone laced with malice and venom. Angrier about what? Crona's heartbeat escalated as he tip-toed closer to the door, leaning his ear towards it. "You can say it will but you don't have to go through_ anything_ I have to. Guys are just spectators in all of this."

Soul seemed to let out an annoyed and defeated sigh. "Fine, whatever, you've got me there. But you've also got one of the most loyal 'spectators' by your side; a guy who isn't going to sit on his ass while this is happening. You honestly think he's going to leave you? Judge you? Come on Maka, that's not Crona. He's too good to do that and you know it."

A timid smile tugged on Crona's lips as he heard Soul's compliments. He knew the Death Scythe was a good man, always supportive and kind toward him, but he never expected to be put into such a bright spotlight by him. It felt like an honor.

His smile faded as he heard Maka speak.

"Oh God no." Her voice seemed panicked now. A tone that was very unlike the Maka he knew. "Please don't mention him right now. Please _please_ don't talk about him."

"Don't talk about him?" Soul sounded flabbergasted. "What do you mean don't talk about him? This is his problem too, you'll have to tell him eventually about-"

"Stop it Soul!" She yelled angrily. What looked to be a washcloth hit the door, opening it up a little more. Crona could see through the crack a black jacketed Soul with his hands shoved in his pockets and his face displaying an expression in-between frustration and worry.

Crona's eyes slowly widened. Don't tell him? Don't tell him what? What's even going _on_? Should he barge in to show them he's been here all along? Should he stay where he is and keep listening, or walk away? He stood frozen against the wall beside the restroom panicking on what to do, his grip on the brown packet tightening.

"I-I don't know how to tell him…" Maka said thickly. Her voice sounded choked and on the verge of crying, causing a wrenching ache to tug inside Crona's chest. "I-I'm scared Soul. I'm the same age as Papa and Momma. I don't _wan_t to be like my parents. I-I can't bear it if Crona-"

Maka stopped as Crona heard a clap against material, her breath catching in what sounded like shock. He leaned closer to the opening to sneak another small glimpse inside. He saw Soul leaning over, his arms extended in front of him; he must have had his hands on Maka's shoulders.

"I refuse to hear my meister talk that way about her boyfriend." Soul said sternly, his tone reprimanding. "Especially in a situation like_ this_. Crona is not like Spirit, and hell will freeze over with pigs flying in the sky before he does. He's not going to leave you. You're too caught up in your shock and saying things you know aren't true. I'm telling you Maka, _it's okay_."

"S-Soul…"Maka hiccupped.

Crona was confused. Why was he even mentioned in the conversation? Did they know he was here? Was this some kind of weird welcome back thing that he didn't understand? He never understood the concept of surprises, they always seemed so jarring to him.

…or maybe…was he the reason why she was crying?

"You'll be fine." Soul assured. Crona saw him lift back into his upright position, hands returning to his jacket pockets. "I believe in both of you that it will."

Maka let out a reluctant sound and hurt shot through Crona's chest like a piercing knife.

"But Soul…how do I even start? How do I tell him that I…I'm…"

Crona felt his brain crack and shatter like a broken mirror, the glued shards of his mind escaping their sticky harness and his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as Maka finished her sentence.

* * *

Stein stared as the young man's once calm body had transformed into a quivering bundle of nervous tension. As Stein hypothesized, Crona was fairly collected and calm as he explained his encounter, but now the panic was back and was raging in his soul brighter than before. His pink bangs shook with his body as he held his knees closer to his shivering chest.

"Crona?"Stein asked, the worry infiltrating his tone of voice.

The boy's mouth gaped slightly to form words, but nothing came out. Only a squeak of panicked breath left him. Crona shook his head and slapped a palm to his head, his fingers grasping at his hair in clumps.

"Soul and Maka…" The swordsman mumbled, his voice so quiet one has to strain to hear.

Stein felt confusion crease his face. He carefully scooted forward in his chair toward Crona. It took all his willpower to not push Crona and keep silent, to disguise his eagerness to know what was causing the boy who felt like his own son so much pain.

Crona's trembling stammer lingered. "T-they…M-Maka said…"

Stein kept his expressionless stare, but his hands silently gripped the edge of his chair in frustration. This boy had suffered enough, too much for anyone to take. What could have added to his overflowing cup of troubles?

"I don't know h-how to deal w-with..."Crona quietly whimpered, his chest shaking as he gasped for air in shallow gulps.

"Deep breaths."Stein said.

He watched the boy as his pale hands gripped the sleeves of his black robe; an audible gulp was heard as the boy lifted his head by a margin.

Stein continued to wait patiently.

His gaze remained downcast, his irregularly cut bangs hiding his eyes. He clutched onto his knees for dear life and his chest rose as he sucked in a shaky breath.

"Maka…is pregnant."Crona hiccuped.


	4. What if

**Hello again! I wanted to thank all of those who have reviewed or have found interest with this story. It makes me very happy to see you enjoy it. I appreciate the reviews or any other feedback and hope they keep coming. Enjoy!**

Crona remained frozen against the wall, his chest tightened in tension and pupils reduced to shriveled specks. The bottoms of his feet felt as if they had rooted themselves to the ground below him, entwining into his muscles and freezing him of mobility. His brain set off like a fireworks show with each part exploding in violent bursts. His hands trembled as he held the parcel he found in a death grip to his chest.

Maka said…s-she said…

"I'm not one for advice on things like this…." Soul spoke. "But if I were you, I'd just rip the band-aid off and get it over with. Don't bullshit anything and just say you have to talk."

"…Soul, those words will just make it even harder to tell him. He'll know something is wrong. "

"Then tell him you've got something to tell him or talk about his mission first; lead him up to it. I don't know, improvise. It's not rocket science to get someone's attention."

Maka made a scoffing sound. "It is when you're trying to tell someone you're pregnant."

Soul sighed. "I know. Like I said, just rip it off and get the words out there."

As Soul and Maka continued to talk, Crona kept himself against the wall, his vision blurring from the spinning dizziness swirling in his head and body mimicking a shell-shocked victim.

_Pregnant? What did that...he…does it mean…when they…?_

His eyes widened further in realization, panic seizing him.

He never thought about it until now. He had been too caught up in his carefree cloud and desire to even care that the box was empty that night. That "magic water" robbed him of his careful manner and unleashed a lustful beast laying dormant in him...and Maka was his victim.

Guilt gripped his heart, clenching with a strong, repetitive vigor that made him feel on the verge of a heart attack. He made a poor decision again. He hated being so disappointing. This was his fault, he knew it. His Health class at the academy taught him that.

The swordsman shuddered more violently as he remembered the course. It was needlessly graphic, especially in the process of reproduction. Everyone seemed to laugh when the topic was discussed, but all he did was blush and shiver as he awkwardly sat next to Maka.

And now all those weird things the Health professor talked about…were now happening to Maka.

Maka and Soul's voices became a faint echo in his ears as he border lined a panic attack, his heart pounding in his eardrums. The already broken shards of his mind began to crack into smaller bits, his body shook uncontrollably, and he gasped silently for air. His stomach did a somersault and urged him to unload its contents. Crona bit his lip and swallowed the feeling.

How was he supposed to deal with this? How was he supposed to care for something as small as Professor Stein and Marie's baby? He could barely care for himself and he didn't even know what those small things even needed or how he could even provide for them. Mission wages went right into rent and food with Maka and Soul's money; they were left with a fair amount of change afterwards...but not enough to feed and clothe an infant. How could he…H-He...he _couldn't_ deal with this.

The weapon pair continued their discussion as Crona stood outside, frozen from his shock. They were wrapping it up, he could tell they were. He had to act fast; had to release his frozen body before they could see him.

While he attempted to move his rigid muscles to escape, a flowering sensation filled Crona's spine, causing his eyes to widen impossibly large as he felt a black cloud spring from his back.

No_, No! _

"Holy freaking _shit _pinky!"Ragnorak cackled loudly, rubbing his balled hand against his head. "Now _that _is fucking shocker! I knew you were a crazy animal in the sack but holy sweet-"

Crona shot his free hand up and clamped Ragnorak's lips shut. Even through Ragnorak's muffled protests, he could hear the conversation once held in the bathroom had morphed into an awkward pause, the silence hanging over the entire apartment.

No. No, No, _No_. He couldn't deal with this. They heard them. H-He had to-

"W-What was that?"Maka asked, her tone shivering in worry.

_Run._

Keeping his grip on Ragnorak's fighting lips and feeling adrenaline ease the roots holding him to the spot, he sped out of the hallway before Soul could see him. He rushed through the living room and out the door of the apartment. He ran down the hall, ran out of the apartment complex, didn't stop running.

As he darted away, Ragnorak managed to rip free from Crona's grasp and punched his small fists against the terrified boy's head."How dare you silence me?!"He scolded harshly. "Here I am trying to help loosen the tension and then you go and spoil it all! Little pest!" The demon then diverted from physical scolding to roaring with merciless laughter as Crona sprinted down Death City's streets. He laughed while his ball fists held his black stomach and wiped a tear of amusement from his round eyes. "Man, you should have _seen_ the look on your face. It was _priceless hahaha_! Where the hell is a camera when you need one?! Way to knock the harpy up you animal!"

Ragnorak recoiled back into his meister's spine as he ran across Death City. He ran until he couldn't run anymore and from there he walked toward an unknowing destination. His mind shut down, his limbs moved on their own, and he was left in dark.

* * *

The silence in the lab felt to be never ending. Stein's gaze stayed on the shuddering boy, his head lowered as if he was expecting punishment.

Stein removed his glasses and rubbed the lenses against the cloth of his lab coat.

"Pregnant?" He stated calmly.

The skinny muscles belonging to the meister stiffened upon the word and his grip tightened on both of his arm's sleeves. He gave the professor a weak nod, something Stein only noticed through the movement of Crona's bangs.

"I see." He said, cranking his bolt. He thought carefully, as any sort of snide or humorous remark would shatter the boy into more broken pieces. No wonder he was panicking. He was only starting to understand the concept of family and accepting love from parental figures and friends; still trying to learn how to give and receive that new experience. Now he had a situation where he had to give that foreign attention he had yet to completely understand to something else, something much smaller and weaker than him; a being that will need a lot of it throughout its growth.

Even though he did not expect this so soon, Stein anticipated this reaction to pregnancy from a love-deprived soul such as he. After experiencing such a fear himself, he couldn't help but assume Crona would be the same. He understood what Crona felt like more than he knew.

"And _man _you should have seen him that night!" a familiar raucous voice said. Crona's head lifted in panicked surprise, his face cringing as the obnoxious demon took the stage. "I didn't think he'd ever stop!

"_No! Stop it Ragnorak!" _The bright red Crona yelled in horror. He shot his hands up to silence the sword, but Ragnorak just applied the same pressure back against the boy's fists, pushing him away.

"It looks like you aren't a complete pussy after all, because this situation shows you at least have _balls_, regardless of how small they are!" The demon snickered while noogying his meister as Crona tried to punch him away, his face full of desperation for his partner's silence. "So, you've actually got some kind of beast in you. Because _damn _I never heard her make those sounds before! That cow bitch finally got what she deserved after all those times she raped you!"

Stein simply watched in emotionless silence, unamused. He observed the young man's bright red face had now mixed with a tinge of purple.

"She never did that!" Crona denied in frustration. He managed to hit a blow against Ragnorak's cheek, sending the demon back against the corner's wall. "And stop calling Maka a cow! T-That isn't nice!

The ping-pong eyes of the demon continued to swirl, his small body rotating in circles. After a few moments, the creature shook his head to regain focus and unloaded a barrage of punches on top of Crona's head. "You brat, I compliment you on screwing the cow and you _hit_ me? I'm offended! Here I try to do something nice and I get hit!"

"I don't want any of those types of compliments from you!" Crona rebuked. "And I said stop calling her a cow!

"Make me!" The demon yelled. The two threw fists at each other, pulling and punching at facial features in an attempt to silence the other.

"Alright, that's just about enough." Stein ordered sternly. Crona and Ragnorak froze in a fighting position as Stein looked up from his glared glasses; his emerald eyes expressing annoyance and demand for silence. "Ragnorak, this is a very inappropriate time for you come barging in. What Crona is concerned about is serious."

"Pff." Ragnorak scoffed, rolling his bulbous white eyes. "So he got the wack-job preggers, so what? They've been screwing like rabbits." Ragnorak dodged a swift punch which shot at him from below. His gloved hands reached up once more in defense from his meister. "Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier. Besides, how do you think _I _feel? _I'm_ the one who had to listen to all that "Oh Maka" and "Oh Crona" crap that got the bun to be in the oven. Its horsesh-"

Crona clamped the weapon's lips shut with one of his hands; the other repeatedly punching the top of his black head, whispering harshly, "_Shut up, shut up, shut up!"_

Stein remained stolid, the glare returning to his lenses. He turned in his swivel seat and pulled open one of his desk drawers, retrieving a small paper bag. He reached in and grabbed a pink-colored taffy from the sack.

"If I give this to you, do you promise to leave Crona and I alone?"

Ragnorak stopped fighting the annoyed adolescent and his eyes settled on the candy in front of him. The demon slapped Crona's hands off his lips and said, "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. It'll take a lot more than one measly candy to silence _me_."

"If you behave and leave us alone, you can have the entire bag."

Ragnorak placed a ball underneath his chin and scratched it, considering the deal. "Hmm…the whole bag you say?"

"I just said that, didn't I?"

Ragnorak scratched his chin again. "Bah, Fine. I don't want to hear him piss and moan anyway. _Gimme_."

The sword lunged his hands forwards for the bag, but Stein pulled it back. "You can have half the taffy for now. I'll give you the rest later when Crona and I have finished talking."

Ragnorak's "X" mark faced squirmed in distaste over Stein's plug-in to the bargain. Stein gave a small smirk of knowing in response. "How else will I know if you'll keep your end of the deal?"

He paused for a few seconds and grumbled, "Fine, whatever. Just gimme, gimme, _gimme_."

Professor Stein reached a hand in the bag and handed half of the candy toward the demon. The sword's salivating jaw opened and scooped up the multi-colored taffies with his tongue, leaving Stein's hand in a slobbered mess. Ragnorak let out a small cackle and gave one more punch to his meister's head. He dissolved into his meister's spine to leave the pair together once more.

Silence drifted into the room at first, none of the two moving or speaking. Stein rubbed his dripping hand against his lab coat and twisted his bolt. The loud patter of falling rain rushed against the windows in their silence. His eyes settled on the bruise forming on Crona's cheek, a mark he attained through his battle he spoke of earlier. The black blood provided an excellent shield, but the Kishin egg's blow had managed to leave the boy's cheek almost purple and slightly swelling.

Stein pushed back in his swivel chair towards the refrigerator and retrieved a package of ice from the freezer. He closed the door and scooted back towards Crona.

"Here." He said. "I'll trade you the parcel for the ice. Keep it against your cheek so the swelling will go down."

Crona didn't reply. His face that had uplifted to fight Ragnorak returned back into its downward position. He slowly handed the drying parcel to the doctor and grabbed the ice bag with trembling fingers. He placed it against his cheek and winced at the bag's frosty touch.

The two remained silent, with Stein staring intently and Crona's gaze directed to the floor.

"I suppose I should be the first to congratulate you." Stein said in an attempt to make light of the situation. "A baby is quite a fantastic feat in the loving relationship you and Maka share."

The boy huddled his legs closer to his chest, one of his arms wrapped around his knees while the other fisted the bag of ice. Stein's face frowned slightly, his Soul Perception showing him Crona's pink soul was flickering and shivering with panic; fear and concern beaming off it like the sun. He placed his forearms on the top of his backrest of the chair and leaned toward the boy.

"You know this is normal, don't you Crona?" Stein asked calmly. "This is a part of life. It just happened a bit earlier for you." He put on a small smile, hoping to ease him. "It'll be alright."

The sword meister's tension only seemed to worsen rather than ease. His soul was now shaking more violently than it was before. Stein's ears perked as he heard a loud swallow from the boy.

"W-What…" Crona whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He clenched the balled fist around his knees tightly. "W-what if it isn't…?"

"Crona, I understand this is frightening but you can't focus on-"

"What if things aren't okay? W-What if they're actually much worse? What if its susceptible to madness?"His chest swiftly moved up and down as his breathing sped faster. "…w-what if it inherits my curse? What if I accidentally gave it my black blood?" The panic now seemed to glow throughout Crona's chest, concerning Stein greatly. "W-what if it _hates_ me for it? I-I can't deal with that! I don't want something as small as what's upstairs to have…_this_."

Stein glanced at the opening fist of Crona, his palms containing crescent nail incisions bubbling in small beads of black blood and trailing down his hand. He collected his brows in thought, an inner window of curiosity opening within him at the sight. Before his mind could be allowed to wander, Crona's labored hiccups and panicked breath grasped his attention.

"This is… my fault…"He sobbed lightly. "I-It's all my fault if that happens. She's sad because of me…I-I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have drank what Black Star gave me. I-if I did that then it wouldn't have a chance of having my…Maka wouldn't be-"

Stein's sutured boot slammed onto the ground before he could finish, not wanting him to even dare finish his sentence. His gaze was now firmly focused on the frightened boy.

"That, is enough Crona." He said firmly.

The boy froze, stuck in a statue's form. The only part of him which trembled or moved was his quivering lips. He continued despite Stein's warning. "W-what if…it's a monster…like I am….like Med-"

Stein shot forward in his chair and grabbed the boy's shoulder, causing the adolescent to flinch in terror.

"I said, _enough_."Stein said in an authoritative manner. "Your paranoia is making you say things you don't mean and you know it. You need to gather yourself like I advised and _calm down_. Don't let those thoughts take over."

Crona simply shuddered in response, his head lifting up to glance at Stein's. The professor's frown deepened as the boy's now grey eyes were shrouded in a cloud of madness, a small eerie grin creeping across his face.

"I-I can't stop." He giggled sharply. "I can't stop thinking about it. It's all I've been able to think about. I'm…it's a curse, its _poison_…like the Madness, like me. If it gets it…." His grin curved the side of his lips but his eyes shone with a look of complete and utter terror, a wetness glazing over his panicked eyes. "It can be an outcast, a freak…a monster, like me. It will _hate_ me if it's like me..."

Stein narrowed his eyes and bore his silent scorning into Crona's sights. Upon seeing the boy would not calm himself, he sighed and retracted his hand to place his fingertips on the bridge of his nose. Paranoia gripped at Crona's heart and was stitched into his soul too fiercely for him to see any sort of good. But with his horrifically abusive background in experiencing parenting and black blooded Madness, he could see why he was so negative of himself.

Still, the idea of an offspring from him being a monster…Crona couldn't even hear how preposterous that sounded. It was so unbelievable, Stein couldn't contain his disbelief of the statement anymore.

"You honestly think a child which comes from you and Maka can end up being a monster?" Stein said, his tone almost sounding like he was mocking him.

Crona's horrified expression twitched, confusion beginning to mix and swirl in his maddened eyes as his ominous grin continued.

Stein sighed and cranked his bolt. "You're like my own family, Crona. But being apart of family is also knowing when a loved one is being very foolish, such as what you are being now."

The sword meister's expression slowly shifted from eerie grinning to saddened confusion. It was harsh, he agreed. But it needed to be said.

Crona's eyes remained in shriveled dots but the innocence was slowly returning. The boy stared at him curiously. He wanted to know what he was talking about; why he was being a fool.

Stein straightened up in his chair as he impassively stared back at Crona. "You two possibly have the purest and most caring souls I have ever observed."Stein stated in his matter-of-fact tone. "Yours especially."

A small tint of pink shone in Crona's cheeks as his stare pursued, almost beckoning the doctor to continue. So he did.

"Your personality and soul have shown considerable care for your friends and for Maka, even for your self-engrossed weapon partner. You love them despite your differences and in order to protect them you'd put everything on the line." He pointed to Crona's stomach, where an old scar resided. "There are marks to prove it."

The young man held his knees tighter, his face burning in a light pink against the melting ice package as he sunk into himself.

"A child born from a kind man such as you and an earnest and accepting woman like Maka couldn't possibly be a monster. In fact, I'm positive it would be the opposite."

Silence.

"But as for this being your fault, no. A child is a team effort. Maka is as much to blame for this as you are. These things happen, regardless of if it is expected or unexpected."

Crona laid his head down on his knees in what Stein thought was shame. Although Crona's madness was fading, the fear and panic in his heart and soul lingered. The flares and shudders looked so familiar to him. It was hard to believe those emotions stirred in himself more than a year ago.

Stein adjusted his glasses, spiraling back into the past. He knew all too well, the boy's feelings. He felt and panicked as Crona did in worrying about every negative aspect of himself his child may inherit. The overwhelming swarm of guilt and panic of burdening fragile innocence buzzed angrily in his head like a swarm of bees for those nine months. He was always thinking negatively, keeping his skeptical nature that ran potently in him rather than scan the good. It was hurricane of mental torture that he couldn't allow Crona to endure. His mind contained too many scars and anguishes already. In any way possible, Stein had to show him he knew his pain. Tell him their curse was not definite in their children. And even if it was...

"It can't be like me..."Crona muttered quietly, sounding near tears. "I don't wan't...it _can't_..."

Stein's right eye flinched. He remembered those words too. It was starting to discomfort him really, how Crona had managed to imitate every reaction he made towards his own child. They shared that bond of pain and madness, but it still amazed and frightened him at how similar they could be.

As Stein observed that familiar reaction, he felt his mind unleash a series of sayings Marie repeated to him, singing through his head to attack his negativity like an antibody to a vicious virus, protecting his own mind from himself. A curve of a smile formed on his lips. In another way he and Crona were alike, Stein was also fortunate to have a loving and accepting woman by his side, his own bright light in the thick Madness. That living light would tell him those words of comfort every time he secluded himself in his lab from his family, fearing his own presence would taint their healthy sanity. She told him it every time he was skeptical, every time he attempted to seek refuge elsewhere. She said it so repetitively, it had taken the form of a jingle in his head; a tune that did not annoy him like an irritating song but would bat the negative thoughts away.

"So what if the baby is like you anyway?" Stein asked, hearing Marie's voice say it rather his own. "Is it that big of a deal?"

Crona's head immediately shot up, confused terror featured on every crease of his face and mixing together in his shaking grey eyes. Stein felt discomfort again. It was very daunting how simply looking at Crona was like looking into a mirror of his past self, fear dripping off every facial feature. But the discomforted tension was cancelled out again as the tune continued to play and shoo away his unease, like Marie and her pearls of wisdom always did. He supposed Maka had the same effect on Crona, her positivity practically shining through their madness to give them a path of sight and light.

"Even if it is like you, doesn't that mean you can help it? You understand it better than anyone. So doesn't that mean you can teach it how to control it? Give it guidance?"

"It shouldn't _have_ to learn how to control it..."Crona quietly rebuked. "It shouldn't have to because it's potent madness...its-"

"Its an advantage in battle." Stein challenged. "It's an extraordinary asset, especially from a master of it such as you. Why else do you think we give you some of our more difficult missions? Because we like to pick on you? No, because you've mastered it, you've lived with it, and you've become a great fighter through controlling it. Who else would be better to teach your child how to fight than the master himself?"

Crona's head remained hanging, mumbling, "But what if it doesn't want to _be_ a fighter...it shouldn't have to be one like I was forced to, like how I didn't have a choice." He paused, hicking softly and a tear traveling down his cheek. "It...should have a choice."

"It _will_ have a choice. And that is what you can help it do, guide it to what it wants to be."

His head remained down, his shoulders shaking. "...what if I can't? I-I don't even know how to take care of myself...or make my own decisions. How can I help something so small? I-...I'm..."

"Scared?"

A terrified sound left Crona but his head nodded weakly.

Stein blinked, remembering his own spine-chilling nightmares and relentless mental torment. It was frightening and often easier to doubt oneself in their capability towards something like this. But Crona wasn't alone to tackle his problems anymore, he didn't need to doubt. He had people who cared and would help him now.

"It's always scary at first." Stein started. "But you have people who are willing to help you, like Marie and I. Why else do you think she badgers you so much by saying that every time you're here? If there is something that confuses you or that you do not understand, you can always come to us for help."

Crona's soul slightly ebbed in the bright beams of fear, a wavelength of relief flaring around it from his words. He was glad his offer of help assisted in easing him, but he hoped his next words would relax him more. "And you have Maka with you as well. Your bond between each other is something that can never be broken. If you fear something like this will tarnish it, you're wrong. If anything, it will make it stronger."

A small hiccup caused Crona's body to jolt, his eyes squeezing shut to restrict more tears from escaping. He wiped his tears and upturned noise with his sleeve and stared at the ground. His pink bangs fell over his eyes and he placed the ice bag on the ground, his fingers fumbling together as he prepared to ask one more question.

"I-It'll hurt her…when it comes, won't it?" Crona asked in a small voice. He looked up slowly to face the professor, but his eyes were blocked by the reflecting light against his glasses. His expression stayed blank. He then leaned forward to return his palm to the boy's shoulder.

"She's a very strong girl." Stein replied. "With you by her side, I'm sure she can handle anything."

The calm state Crona grasped changed again, the shivering of his body resuming. Stein knew he never wanted anyone he loved to be hurt by him. That was the primary reason why he panicked so; his mind was consumed in fear and horrified that he might have hurt an innocent child, might have hurt Maka. He possessed such a gentle soul. Although they were the identical in many ways, that was the obvious difference between their madness encrusted souls.

Although Stein disliked the characteristic, he knew dissection was a sick love for him. Cutting through unscathed, masticated, or even eviscerated flesh to uncover the mysteries beneath always made his spine shiver in pleasure and his face to grin manically. His lust for knowledge was abnormally strong and challenging to fight against. But Crona was different. Even after a powerful sword and Madness inducing strength was forced into his body, he still didn't want to hurt anyone, didn't want to act on the maddening impulses. All he wanted was acceptance and love to soothe his desiccated soul. Despite his excessive shyness, he was kind and eager to please those who were good to him or, in some cases, people around him. He spared no one from his genuine act of altruism. Stein admired Crona for retaining such a personality throughout a childhood of darkness and cruel treatment that would leave many hollow and thirsting for revenge; a childhood with a horrific snake who deserved to incinerate in the darkest and cruelest depths of hell.

Stein scanned Crona and a faint smile appeared on his face in realization. He didn't know it, with his personality he may never know it, but Crona would make an excellent father. He had every quality, forged into him through his own personality and knowledge of how to not treat others as the snake witch treated him. But this scared father-to-be was missing something. Something every father and person had to possess.

"Faith is a powerful thing, Crona." Stein said. "It's needed so we may retain hope in succeeding in whatever challenges we face. I know I've never been a big one for it in the past, but recent events have…"He looked to the ceiling, his now soft eyes sighting the soul of his young one sleeping soundly. "Well, they can change your mind. So believe in your partner and child. It's important for a father and man to do so. From what I've been able to understand, we are the protectors of our families bound together as a team of anchors to keep each other in sanity. We give the family our confidence, just as they do to us. Through that anchored bond of belief, you can do anything."

Crona's shoulders shook against his hand, but he managed to give a slight nod in understanding, sniffing lightly.

"I'm glad we had this talk." Stein smiled, standing up. "I appreciate you confiding in me."

Stein extended a hand toward Crona. He waited as the steadily relaxing boy had a slow response. A shaky pale hand finally came to his and he took a hold of it, lifting him up. Stein's placed both his palms carefully on the young man's shoulders.

"And right now, Maka needs her anchor."Stein continued." This is something that she needs to confide to her partner. And that's you, not Soul."

Crona shifted slightly at the physical contact and continued his shy ways; his stare now aimed at the wall and his cheeks pink. "Y-Yes professor."

"Good" Stein smiled. Attempting to pry himself out of his comfort zone, he placed one of his hands on top of the boy's pink hair and ruffled it lightly. "You'll be fine. You two have something I've never seen before. It's perplexing how bright Maka's soul shines when she's around you. It's almost blinding."

The young man smiled slightly at his words. But as fast as it came, it quickly vanished. Crona's eyes dulled as if a new guilt had overcome him. "I-I'm sorry for imposing on you professor, i-it was selfish of me to come here so late and bug you. I'll leave no-"

The sword meister halted his apology as the hand placed on his head went to the back of his skull and was pulled towards Stein, his taller height allowing Crona's forehead to rest on his clavicle, his remaining hand kept on the boy's shoulders. It was a little awkward for Stein to initiate a hug, but he had to try despite his discomforts and lack of knowledge. He would learn and through Crona he would kill two birds with one stone: he would comfort a boy who never had a father figure or a caring parent and he would learn to initiate an embrace for the sake of his own child, for his son sleeping upstairs.

"You never impose on us."Stein assured gently. "We told you there is always a home here for you and there always will be."

Crona's breathing sounded to have stopped, his entire body in some sort of unmoving stasis. Stein lightly patted his shoulder. "You're not alone anymore. People who care about you have you." He paused for a moment then lightly leaned his chin on the top of Crona's head, his hand on the boy's shoulder cautiously moving up and down on his deltoid. After two years, he felt the words finally needed to be said. "Like I have you, son."

The boy choked out a margin of the air kept in his lungs, his body shivering and face huddling against him like a cold child seeking warmth. He let go slowly, his body lurching in violent spasms as he released his tears. His forehead pressed against Stein's chest as he sobbed and Stein continued to hold him, his hand still carefully moving.

"…thank you..."Crona whispered, one hand holding his patched shirt tightly.

"Anytime." Stein replied, smiling. "Now off you go. You should be home with Maka, not here."

He gave Stein a small smile and wiped his face."R-right."

Crona and Stein separated and Crona turned to leave the lab. A light turned on in Stein's head as he remembered something.

"Wait." Stein called, walking to his bookcase.

Crona looked back to see Stein holding two things: an umbrella, and a book he had remembered to pull from Marie's bookshelf. He thought a book from his own stocks would be useful, but it may be too complex for Crona's understanding. So he settled for something Marie bought.

"Here, take this umbrella. I'll never hear the end of it if I let you out of here with no protection against the weather."

Crona reached out to grab the umbrella and looked at the book, a puzzled expression on his face."What is that?"

"Since this is new to you, this is for some explanations to why Maka will act a certain way during the next few months." Stein handed the thick book over and Crona grasped it with trembling fingers. "I may not be around whenever you have a question, so everything you need to know should be in here."

Crona examined the book and flipped the pages quickly, his cheeks growing brighter and brighter in color as he looked at it. He slammed it shut and shoved it under his arm in panic, his eyes darting all over the room nervously.

"U-uh y-yeah, thanks p-professor."Crona mumbled, embarrassed.

"Of course. Now go on."

"Wait just a second!"A loud voice screeched.

Crona groaned and let his head drop as Ragnorak emerged.

"What about my candy, huh?!" The Demon Sword scolded. "That's the only reason why I didn't butt into your touchy-gooey conversation. I get enough of that at home. _Gimme_!

The professor closed his eyes in annoyance."Fine. Fine." He picked up the bag lying on the floor and threw it to Ragnorak, his drooling mouth hanging open to catch it. He munched on it, bag and all and gooey blotches were caught in his large pearly whites.

"Mmmmm-mm!" The black blooded terror bellowed. "Now that's some good taffy." Ragnorak looked at the umbrella and back at Stein. "Just an umbrella? Are you kidding me? You're a scientist, haven't you invented some kind of portable heater or something? It's freezing out there!"

"Ragnorak he already gave us something..."Crona frowned lightly."You should be grateful for what you already have."

"Don't preach to me you little runt!" The sword exclaimed. He slammed his small fist against the meister's pink head and pulled at his hair. "Save your wise commands and hissy-fits for when the cow pops out your brat."

Crona squeaked loudly in shock and shot a fist up to contact the underside of Ragnorak's jaw. "I said to stop calling her that! A-And don't talk about the baby that way!"

"Oh ho _ho_! Well, look whose getting a backbone! It's about time, tranny."

"…s-shut up." Crona muttered, frustrated.

Both the boys ceased their quarrel when a sheet of white fell upon them. Ragnorak lifted his small hands, noticing it, and grabbed the material.

"Consider it another exchange for the package."Stein said. He now stood in the middle of the room with just his patched black and grey shirt. "I'll be looking at it intently. There's no need to bring the coat back. "

"Don't worry." Ragnorak said while wrapping the coat around him. He took the appearance of an old lady who shielded her frail self from the sun. "We won't."

"At least say thank you, Ragnorak." Crona said.

"I said to knock off scolding me you wimp!"Ragnorak barked. He pulled at Crona's ear and he yelped. "Go practice your daddy skills on someone else."

Crona's cheeks burned as the demon roughly pulled at his hair again. Stein let out a small chuckle as he pushed his chair back to the front of his computer desk. As turned away to head out he paused, looking back at his teacher.

"T-Thank you professor." Crona said softly. "For everything."

"Don't mention it, now off you go."Stein replied.

The boy smiled lightly and waved goodbye as he left the room. He closed the door behind him leaving the grey-haired scientist alone.

He stood there for a few moments, his hand drifting up to twist his protruding bolt a few turns. He lifted his face to glance upstairs and saw his son's and wife's souls floating, Marie possibly sleeping in the chair kept beside his crib again. The small smile widened as he thought of his conversation with Crona, of the expecting baby. The window of curiosity within him remained open still, the outside winds flowing into him and rushing with words of investigation and question. But his joy for Crona engulfed the whispers, paired with the positivity Marie force fed him through the years.

He let out an amused exhale of breath as he moved across the room to the cabinet harboring his surgical tools, preparing for his examination of his four-legged specimen. Marie's song of wisdom continued to sing through his head as he gathered his surgical tools from the shelves, preparing his station. The tune his mind had created was soon reaching its end. As the last words began to reach him, he imagined the words through a light feminine voice that assured him things would be fine, that Crona would be alright with this new experience as long as he kept his trust in his child and Maka.

He blinked slowly as the words Marie spoke to him filled his mind, hanging onto every word:

_"We can make it through most anything, if you can just believe."_

* * *

Crona slowly walked through the wet streets of Death City, his shoes slapping through the thin puddles left on the floor and the rain pouring down against the umbrella.

"Can't you walk any faster?" Ragnorak growled, holding the coat tight around him. "The Four-eyed freak may have given us his jacket but it's still cold as hell. Jeez, even his lame-ass jacket doesn't give much warmth!"

Crona didn't respond. He just continued to walk slowly through the streets, holding the book Stein gave him tight against his chest. The knots formed in his stomach had loosened after his conversation with the professor. As hard as it was revealing something so huge to an adult, he felt remarkably at ease.

Well, more than he was before anyway.

He stopped to sit on a bench, uncaring of the wetness left from the downpour and wanting to rest from his night of aimlessly walking through the streets. He didn't feel comfortable rushing back home to Maka so soon … it was just too soon. Maybe after another hour or so it would be better to go back.

He placed the book on his lap and ran a palm over the surface, rubbing off some dust left behind. It looked like a simple novel, except the entire subject was on reproduction. The simple title of "What To Expect When Expecting" across the top made him squirm with nerves and unease. But it didn't matter what he felt anymore, he couldn't run away from it. This was happening whether he was ready or not.

"Hey, are we seriously going to sit here all night?"

Crona remained silent, collecting his thoughts. Ragnorak delivered an impatient blow to the top of his head, demanding an answer.

"Ow…can't you just be nice for once?"

"Nice isn't my style, that's more up your alley. I'd rather be a strong badass than a complaining wimp. Someone has to be the man of this pair, seeing as how you always wear dresses."

Crona lowered his head and mumbled, "It's a _robe_. And I-I don't complain...as much anymore."

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" Ragnorak shouted, bending down to face his meister with his angry eyes. "You've complained ever since I've known you, and every day since. For fucks sake, you're even complaining _now_." The sword took one of his balled hands away from the coat surrounding him to tug Crona's hair. "You whine about every little fucking thing. You whined about thinking Ms. Bossy Tiny Tits didn't dig you and then you whine over not knowing how to handle that touchy-feely crap or screwing her." His grip tightened and Crona winced as he shook him. "_Then _you complain about being a scared pussy on playing house with your pwecious PMSing control freak! You're the queen tranny of all the complainers in the world!"

Crona's brows knitted together in confusion, an odd, detached look coming into his eyes. "H-House…?"

"Oh you know, all the type of crap that goes like this:" Ragnorak put both his fists together to the side of his face, letting the coat idle over his small shoulders as he batted invisible lashes overdramatically, speaking in a scratchy high-pitched voice, "Oh Crona, I love you. Let's live in a candy and gumdrop made house on sugar plum lane and screw every night so I can pop out your wimpy cow-like kiddies forever and ever!"

Crona's face flushed brightly in a mixture of irritation and embarrassment from Ragnorak's words. He harshly pushed Ragnorak's face away from his own, grumbling under his breath and bowed his bright face. He heard his partner scoff and thumped his hands on the back of Crona's head like a set of bongos as he rode his train of thought.

Even if it was embarrassingly vulgar on how Ragnorak put it… playing house didn't seem so bad.

He looked down into the puddle below him, looking at his conflicted reflection.

Inside him there was fear and unyielding apprehension, the fright that had caused him to panic and run out of the apartment. But he felt something else stir inside him, something familiar. He examined his thoughts from throughout the night and found his fear was mostly towards his inability to provide, care, and his possible influence genetically; not for how this would change his own life or that he had ruined it. He had been starved of such attention all his life and his heart strangely felt like breaking at having his child suffer from that. Aside from all that turmoil, that sting of pain and anxiety thundering in his temples…something else was growing.

As Ragnorak continued to hit him, Crona's brows knitted together in thought.

Maybe…maybe somewhere in him he wanted this. The concept was still so confusing to him simply due to his upbringing, but the idea of his future with Maka floated in the back of his mind as the months they were together passed; what their years together would bring and what they would accomplish together as they grew older.

...was having children one of those accomplishments?

Maybe it was…he remembered how Maka would always say she'd never leave, she'd always be with him, and they'll always be together. So, if she was never going to leave and what they had was forever, didn't that mean they would eventually…

Inside him he felt a small light flicker behind the dark, hazy mists of panic, fear, and paranoia shifting around in his chest. It was warm, and steadily growing with light as it burned through the thick fog. The feeling felt so familiar, yet so far away.

"Admit it, you fucking whiner."Ragnorak growled, grabbing his head and pushing it forward and back. "You wanted this crap all along. You're just that much a chick. I bet you'll be squealing like a girl with her in happiness later and give each other wet sloppy kisses and stupid cuddly hugs with rainbows bursting out of your googly eyes and asses and... _God_ you guys make me _sick_."

Ragnorak continued his verbal and physical torment as the small spark in his chest began to flicker brighter, sending small trickles of warmth through his cold body. He felt his unease loosen in his muscles and chest, relaxing him almost as well as Maka did when she was near. He felt like he was slipping into a warm bubbly daze, the same feeling he felt when Maka first asked to be his friend…the sensation of being _happy_.

Tears stung behind his eyelids, threatening to spill down like the rain around him as he realized the emotion. Behind the thick fog of fear and anxiety, a part of him hiding in the dark was…happy. It was fainter than usual, the feeling ghosting over his nerves, but he recognized the familiar warmth. He was _happy_…

"See? Right there!"Ragnorak tugged at his hair again, causing him to whimper. "I feel that happy shit too ya know! I bet you're all giddy and full of rainbows on knocking the she-pig up, aren't you?!"

That's when Crona felt the emotion shied away back into the darkness; the boulders that had once released the trickling stream of warmth closing together to block them, concealing the dimming light that sprouted from the middle of his torso. He bowed his head further, ashamed of his behavior.

Somewhere in him was he happy. Yes, he was. But that small flicker wasn't enough to counter out his fog of fear, his panic of what the baby could inherit paired with the horrible guilt for pushing such a responsibility on Maka without her consent. She could be angry at him for being so careless that night. Even the baby could despise and blame him for inheriting the curse of the black blood or his horrid madness, a curse he alone deserved. The innocence an infant like Professor Stein's son had couldn't be tainted by his blood, by his introverted behaviors, or his insecurities. It needed to be confident, strong, and earnest…like…

"But not me Crona!" Ragnorak vociferated, his firm voice snapping him out of his thoughts. He grabbed Crona's ears and attempted to strech them up, venting more of his frustration to his wailing meister. "Those wimpy emotions don't' affect me! If anything, I'm pretty pissed off!"

"Ow! Ragnorak, leave me alone!"

"Hell no! It's because of _you_ I've got to deal with the she-hag every day and listen to her spout her crap. I have to watch you two be all kissy-wissy and run off in giggly foo-foo land while you lead up to bang her into next week. And now this? _This_? I swear, I swear to you Crona!" He let Crona's ears snap back into place and dissolved into his back, causing the coat to fall on Crona while Ragnorak emerged in his front, gripping his robe. "I swear to the so called bearded queer up in the clouds and freaking Lord-whatever himself, if she pops out a brat that's as shrill and bossy as she is, if I have to deal with a Maka-clone, I'm going to _end you_. She's already a pain in the nonexistent ass I have to deal with and to deal with another one? Oh no, you will have _no_ night where you can sleep and dinner where it won't be swiped. I will beat you so hard I'll make your pea-sized brain hidden behind your thick skull brain-dead, you hear me?!"

Crona frowned lightly, puzzled. "Wait, h-how am I supposed to be in control of that? Isn't that the whole point of genetics?"

"Don't you go all Mr. Science guy know-it-all on me!"Ragnorak tugged on his robe tighter, shaking him back and forth. "Just know, I will make your life a living _hell_!"

Crona couldn't help but shake his head, shrugging off Ragnorak's grip. To his personal interest, he hoped the baby would be more like her. To inherit any of his nervous and reluctant tendencies would be like an automatic death sentence in the social world. While Maka was so kind and polite, he was timid and tentative, always hesitant to take a leap. How else would they grow if they didn't take a chance like he was so hesitant to do? And besides, if it was like Maka it would be pure…it would be clean. It would bear none of his shameful blood, but the purest blood imaginable.

The baby had to be like her, he hoped with everything he had it would be.

He held the book in his spare hand as he sat on the bench, his other hand holding his umbrella. Ragnorak dissolved back into his body, muttering under his breath, leaving Crona alone.

He stared at the book, thinking intently. He heard that pregnant women needed a lot of care. Professor Marie went through it that not long ago. With Professor Stein being a doctor, he knew everything that needed to be done: every food needed to be eaten, every weird hormone problem, and what happens to behavior or the body during gestation. He was the best asset to a woman expecting.

And here Crona was with only basic knowledge of the subject, a complete liability to Maka. He had no idea what she needed, what she needed to avoid or how much she needed of something. All he knew was… how reproduction happens. Nothing else specific.

He held the book tighter in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he thought of his resolution. He had to fix his lack of intelligence and one of the things that could help him learn more was through this book.

Crona continued to sit upon the damp bench, umbrella still hanging overhead as he opened up the book Stein gave him, reading it intently before he steeled himself to go back to the apartment.

**I'd much rather be safe than sorry on a lyric I plugged in here. I'm most likely being overly paranoid, but I'll put credit to it just in case. **

**Tommy Heavenly-Black Paper Moon**


	5. I'm here

**A/N All your reviews=me going "sqeeeeeeee~" *wriggles around in happiness* Thank you all for your favs, reviews, and follows. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story and possibly give your comments along the way.**

* * *

Maka felt on the verge of hyperventilation. Now she knew how Crona must feel whenever he had a panic attack. The clenching and unclenching of one's insides and desperate gasps for air would make anyone's head reel and body shake with panic. She huddled into herself and hid her face in her knees. She didn't want to look at the familiar bag lying on the sofa next to her, didn't want to talk to the nervous Death Scythe in front of her. She just wanted to be alone, unconsciously allowing her mind to wander and fill with worry.

Did Crona hear everything? Was he there the entire time they were talking? That shrill voice they heard couldn't be anyone else besides the obnoxious Ragnorak. He must have…

"Maka…" Soul started.

She brought up her hand to stop her weapon from talking. She shook her head while keeping her face to her knees. Soul frowned but obeyed. He was smart enough to know when his meister already had enough on her plate. She didn't need his rebellious behavior right now.

Maka clutched her knees tighter as she looked up toward her weapon. Her eyes shook with fear.

"D-Do…"Maka gulped before continuing. "Do you think he heard…everything?"

Soul exhaled and put his hand to the back of his head, scratching. "Maybe not everything, but enough to know what's going on."

A small, plaintive sound left Maka and she retreated back into her knees. Her anxiety and worry overtook her embarrassment of making such a noise in front of Soul. She knew he wasn't used to seeing his meister act so vulnerable, knowing that she hid and pushed her true terrors away even when under stress or emotional havoc; never cried in front of anyone and bit back her fear, striving to only get stronger and wiser. And here she was, crumbling to pieces and near tears in front of her own startled weapon. How pathetic.

She heard Soul shift uncomfortably in front of her, trying to find the right words to say. He put his hands in his jacket's pockets and stared at his shoes. "Are…are you sure this isn't, you know, a good thing? That he overheard n' all?"

Maka shot her head up in disbelief, showing him a venomous glare that expressed he had two seconds to make his explanation quick or shut up now from the knowing threat of a thick and rectangular object flying across the room.

His eyelids lowered in barely contained annoyance but he replied quickly, "What I mean is, doesn't this already break the ice? You don't have to tell him. I mean…he already heard. This could make it easier on you to introduce the topic."

"Yeah, he heard and then he ran out of here while slamming the door hard enough for the people down the hall to hear. I'm surprised he didn't run while screaming."

Soul groaned. It was the same sound he always used when he knew she was being impossible. Not like she cared really.

"Come on Maka, you've got to make light of this situation somehow."He encouraged. "Running is something that's rooted in him, even after two years it's not going to go away so quickly."Soul then put his head down, mumbling under his breath, "And I honestly don't blame him when it comes to this…"

A book flew across the room to meet with Soul's defenseless head, causing the Death Scythe to growl in pain.

"Ow! What the hell, Maka?!"

"Jerk, I feel sorry for which ever girl you end up with."

Soul rubbed his scalp and shook his head. "Whatever, all I'm saying is it's his first instinct. He'll come around soon enough. He always does, right?"

Maka averted her gaze, uncertainty filling her. "He used to…but I highly doubt he will now…"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I just know. That's how."

"Because you know? That's it? Come on, even for you thats a pretty lame excuse."

"Just shut up already."

"Okay okay, maybe that was a bit harsh of me. But I'm just trying-"

"Just stop it already, Soul."

Soul's arms slipped out of his pockets and slapped against his sides in disbelief. "Gee, well I guess this is what I get for trying to comfort the great and powerful Kishin defeater. Nice. And the last time he ran with no intention of coming back was two _years_ ago. If you haven't noticed, a lot has changed since then; he's changed."

"Well _gee, _like I haven't noticed _that_ you white fungus shark. "She retorted venomously. "If that wasn't the case then how else would I have ended up in this situation? Hmm?"

Soul's eye twitched and his hands shot up to fist his white hair, his shark teeth grinding together. "God you are…_such_ a pain in the _ass_. I try to help you get out of being down in the dumps and all you do is mope-mope-mope or give me lip. Cripes. Crona can't deal with things? That's a load of bull, because I'd like to know how he can deal with a fork in the ass like _you_."

Maka quickly lifted herself and harshly sunk a thick book into Soul's cranium, sending him down quickly to the carpeted floor with a pained _OOF_. The frustrated meister resumed her fetal position on the couch and glanced over at the black bag containing Crona's belongings. A mixture of feelings swarmed her as she diverted her glance to the window, seeing the rare desert storm still didn't stop its relentless downpour upon Death City.

Was he still out there? Was he safe? Did he find someplace to hide from the weather?

Or…did he really run away again?

She fought back against her blurring vision as she worried for her sweet swordsman, fear for if he returns here, and concern for how she would handle this situation from this point forward. A light frown then etched her face as Soul began to stand up, his hand rubbing his injured skull.

She did feel a little bad for hurting him. He was just trying to help after all. She was just too stubborn to budge or listen, too shaken by the life-changing news she discovered.

The moody feelings she's been dealing with lately…weren't exactly helping her attitude towards Soul either.

"Alright, I'll start again." Soul said. He placed his hands back in his jacket's pockets and focused his scarlet eyes to his meister. "You should know Crona isn't going to leave you. I'm no girl but I do know that you guys go on some weird emotional rollercoaster during this. I get it, that's why you're edgy. But those funky hormones are blocking out the real you. You know he'll come back, he just needs to collect his thoughts. I bet every man would go through some sort of panic attack when finding out he's having a kid." He paused, blinking a couple times before resuming. "I would."

Maka's eyes softened and slowly shifted toward Soul.

"Honestly, I'm kinda glad you were spared of his facial reaction when he heard too. You just heard him run out, nothing else. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it's better than actually seeing it. And for all we know he could have collected himself by now."

Her eyes went sad again. "And what if he hasn't'…"

"Crap, I'm not helping at all. Aren't I?" Soul sighed.

Maka wiped her nose and shook her head. "No Soul, it's okay. You're just trying to help."

Soul looked at her with a look of concern then slowly nodded. Inch by inch, she was calming down.

The Death Scythe's gaze then focused on the bag of the frightened father that had fled the scene. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a small, amused chuckle. "Man, little Crona. Who knew he had it in him, huh?"

Maka's eyes widened and quickly hid her face back against her knees, her face radiating a bright red heat. To be completely honest, she was pretty astounded too. "Y-Yeah…"

Soul gave her his trademark sharp-toothed smirk. "You guys are going to be just fine. You wait and see."

An icy shiver then shot down Maka's spine as she heard the knob of the door rattle, opening the entry way completely. Soul and Maka froze in their spots, jolted by the sudden sound and looked toward the door.

There in the doorway stood a pink-haired teenager whose gaze was focused on closing an umbrella, his brows knitted together in frustration as he pulled and shook at it to reform into its shrunken form. A familiar sutured coat adorned his shivering shoulders and Maka felt her insides become ice cold. She knew Crona had a parental bond with Professor Stein and Marie, but she didn't expect him to run to them in a situation like this, at least not so soon.

When he finally accomplished shrinking the umbrella, the meister closed the door behind him and placed the umbrella and what looked like a book on top of the table nearby. He looked up with his tired dark eyes and froze with the pair as he saw them, his once calm pupils now shivering specks. It didn't take a genius to notice that he knew.

"Well," Soul said, noticeably uncomfortable. "I'll leave you two be. Black Star and I have plans tonight."

Maka gave him a slight frown and Soul returned her glance with a reassuring sharp grin. "My lips are sealed."

Her face softened slightly but quickly shifted to an expression of nervousness as her gaze settled on Crona.

Soul could see it was time to bail. The white-haired man walked toward the exit and put a hand on the shaking sword meister. He gave the timid boy a comforting smirk and patted his shoulder. "I'll talk to you guys later." He closed the door behind him and left the couple to dwell in the silence.

Maka fidgeted uncomfortably on the sofa while Crona remained quivering across the room. Neither one of them moved as they continued to stare at each other in their silence, their hearts thundering in anxiety and fear. They squirmed in their spots and averted gazes as they attempted to collect themselves.

"So…um." Maka asked in an attempt to ease the tension. "How was your mission?

Her nervous partner suddenly gained an interest in picking the stitches in Stein's coat. His face had formed into a darkened red as he curled in on himself, one arm pressed against his chest."I-It went fine."

Maka's brow furrowed slightly, seeing a discoloration in his cheek. "Your cheek is bruised. Were you hurt?"

"I-Its nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Silence consumed the room again. They stared at each other from the spaces between them with rigid tension, almost as if they were two shooters getting ready to draw in a Western stand-off. The only thing that was missing was the iconic tumbleweed passing through the middle of the tense couple as they debated who would draw out the question first. Maka fumbled her fingers on the couch, her eyes darting back and forth from her feet then up to her shaking boyfriend. She watched intently at Crona as he began to scratch the back of his head, his eyes aimed at his shoes and his mouth opening and closing.

She closed her eyes and swallowed the hard lump blocking her windpipe. This couldn't be shoved aside, there could be no more running away, and there could be no more silence. A baby was entering their lives, whether they were prepared for it or not. This needed to be talked about.

Maka pulled herself together, sat upright in her fetal position and let her legs fall slowly to the floor. She then lifted her stare towards Crona. From what she could see she noticed his shivering had partially ceased, but the grip on his right arm was tight and snug, his knuckles turning a ghostly white against his already pale skin. He timidly pulled his attention away from his shoes and brought up his dark orbs to meet her emerald. Both of them took a deep breath to harness their anxiety.

"Can we talk?" They said simultaneously.

The pair froze immediately. Maka fidgeted in her seat and felt her heart rate climb. After a couple more tense moments, she took her hand and patted it against the seat. She forced a comforting smile to try and ease her partner.

Crona gripped his arm and hesitated against her invitation, pulling backwards from her invite. But as he took a step back, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes met once more with hers and she gave him another smile. His eyes flickered back in forth, searching hers and closed his eyes, possibly fighting back the electric storm of doubts in his brain.

Steadily, Crona pulled forward from his retraction. He inhaled and walked over to the couch where she sat. She welcomed him with another smile to feign her usual bright ones, hoping he'd smile with her. He carefully sat next to her, leaving a small crack in-between them to give her space, his eyes unseen through the curtain of pink bangs.

They sat there, waiting for a person to gather enough courage to bring up the topic.

Maka remained silent, trying to find the right words as she stared at Crona. His hands gripped the soft velvet cushion of the sofa and let his tongue creep out to moisten his lips.

"Maka…I.."

"You heard, didn't you?" Maka asked, her face sadly solemn.

His breath caught from her bluntness, causing him to shiver. A memory flashed in her mind as she remembered the two words which caused him to flee out of the apartment: "I'm pregnant".

Being seemingly unable to regain the ability to speak, Crona nodded his head, his shoulders hunching farther forward and his chin falling into his chest.

Maka's face fell in dismay. She couldn't stop mentally kicking herself for not being more careful. His innocence of ingesting alcohol had been taken advantage of by the narcissistic Black Star and his mind had been obscured from the drunken stupor. She couldn't believe she…

"I'm sorry." Crona said in a breathless whisper. "I-I'm so sorry Maka, i-if I made you mad…I didn't-" Her solemn face softened as her partner's glistening puppy eyes shifted toward her, his pupils shivering as their gazes met. "I didn't…I-I should have…If you hate me I understa-"

A gentle finger was placed to his lips before he could finish. "You know I could never hate you." Maka comforted softly. "That's just silly. It's not your fault and you don't have to be sorry." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and rubbed her palm up and down on it. "If anything I should apologize. You were in such a fragile state of mind, I shouldn't' have taken advantage of you. I should have been more aware."

Crona knitted his brows in a familiar expression of puzzlement and shook his head violently, his uneven hair strands whipping back and forth against the sides of his neck. "You didn't take advantage of me, I-_I_ did it to _you_…I'm the one who went to you…a-and I checked the box before I did…I knew it was empty." He brought his hands up and grasped fistfuls of his bangs in his hands. "But still I ignored being careful…I…I was reckless."

Maka pulled his hands out of their tight grip on his hair and squeezed them in hers, her thumbs rubbing the inside of his palms to calm him. She continued the action with one of her hands and brought the other to rest her fingertips against his cheek, her eyes pleading to him. "Crona, please don't blame this on yourself. Don't add this to your pile of problems. These things..."

She cradled his cheek in her hand as he stared at her with sad, wide eyes, tears peaking at the corners in fear he did wrong. She caressed his cheek with her thumb and gulped down the whimper threatening to leave her mouth. "These things just happen sometimes. You didn't do anything wrong."

"B-But I…you…"

She brought his face closer to hers and touched her forehead to his. "Don't you dare say this is your fault again, Crona. Ever. I won't let you. This is something we both did, together."

He kept his shaking eyes on her. A strained whimper escaped him and he looked toward the floor. "S-Sorry...it's hard."

"I know."

The two kept their silence as they held each other's hand, tightening them gradually harder to reassure each other. Maka shut her lips tight to suppress sounds of fear and swallowed it back into her knotted stomach.

She should have known better; she should have checked herself. Something like this was extremely sensitive for someone like him. He had grown used to having a family of friends now, but when it came to creating a family of his own, it was a highly delicate topic. She tried playing around with him on the idea once, jokingly telling him the physical characteristics of possible children and it had nearly sent him into a full blown panic attack. His concept of a powerful bond between parent and child had been tarnished by the parental contempt and abuse structured into his soul by Medusa; the one who left him with the idea that children were tools that could be used, beaten, and tossed to the side…the one who instilled in him that he would be the same as her in parenting, just because of a relation of blood.

No wonder he was so scared…

She held his hands tighter, wanting to give him all the comfort he needed. She could only imagine what kind of mental storms ravaged his thoughts in this situation.

She put on her brightest smile and placed her hands on his face, pulling his face towards hers. He jolted as his head moved and expressed a face of bewilderment as he met Maka's comforting smile. His face shifted faintly in confusion as she caressed his cheeks. "It's okay, Crona." Maka smiled. "Everything will be okay. We'll be okay."

He stared at her, still surprised.

The lump was becoming larger in her throat, but she managed to choke back her inner uncertainty, striving to comfort someone who needed it more. "We'll find a way to handle this, just like we always do when we're faced with something new. I've had a bit of time to think about it and I've already thought about doing small jobs around Shibusen for money, and we can use the savings we had towards an apartment of our own." She smiled at him, forcing away the tremors starting to shake her facial muscles. "I have a plan, like always."

"Maka…"

She placed her forehead to his and stroked his face lightly. "You don't have to be scared, Crona. We'll be okay, like we've always been…there's always a challenge in a couple's lives now and again. We'll overcome it like we always do."

Crona didn't reply. As she held him in her hands and kept her forehead to his, his eyelids seemed to flutter lazily, as if the heavy lids were preparing to fall asleep. After a few more moments, his eyebrows began to furrow, and his lazy gaze switched to intent flickering of eyes, searching hers as she held him. A shaky breath exhaled from him as he placed his hands over hers, bringing them off his face to rest in his hand.

"M-Maka?" Crona asked.

"Yes?"

His mouth squirmed and struggled to form words. His dark grey eyes then pulled up to meet hers and he looked at her, pleading. "Maka…please don't hide from me."

Maka tilted her head to the side in confusion, her expression puzzled. "Hiding? What do you mean?"

His eyes dropped into a sad puppy-dog stare again, his dark eyes hazy with worry. "Like y-you know when I'm worried, I know when you are. I may not have Soul Perception but even I can tell when you're scared…I saw it just by looking at you when you invited me to the couch." He paused and gave her a deeper saddened stare, one that seemed almost hurt causing a spike to painfully push through her chest at the sight. "And I felt it when I couldn't feel your wavelength when our foreheads touched…and that hasn't happened before; ever. You always told me you could tell when I was hiding something, because I blocked you out like that a lot back then. So if I can't feel your wavelength at all like you couldn't to me then…doesn't that mean you're hiding like I was?"

Maka's slightly gaped mouth snapped shut. Her heart jumped into her throat and throbbed painfully against the dry collection of tissue. Her hands slightly shook in his hands and his grip tightened. Crona was more intelligent than most gave him credit for, especially her in regards to this situation.

"I'm fine Crona, honestly." Maka reassured sweetly, her inner self astonished in her attempts to try and lie to him further. She went as far to lace the lie with more convincing emotion, pulling another smile across her lips. Even unconsciously she was stubborn to reveal her true emotions.

But to her dismay, Crona eyes kept their reluctant stare, the corner of his mouth pulling down in the smallest of frowns. He pulled on her hands to bring her into his tremoring chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know you're afraid." He whispered softly, his cheek nuzzling against her hair. "I know h-how it feels. You don't have to hide it from me, you don't have to be strong for us and hold in your feelings. You always tell me that isn't healthy, s-so you shouldn't keep it inside. Plus I've…" Crona paused for a moment. Tension and shivers flowered throughout his shoulders as Maka's chin rested against it. He brought her closer and huddled his face into her neck. "I-I've also read that stress isn't good…f-for the baby."

Maka didn't move, her breath almost robbed completely from her. Her body began to shiver in small trembles and her eyes shook with mixed emotions. She brought her chin down and leaned her forehead against his clavicle, gritting her teeth together to bite back her sobs. She still didn't even know why she was fighting it, and to _him_ of all people. But all she knew was the inner resistance she built within her continued to perform its duty, attempting to stand strong and fight back.

But he was right, she was lying; lying and feeding herself repetitions of "it's okay" when she wasn't confident it was. As he said, she was scared; she was _terrified_.

She softly shook in her lover's arms, her involuntary stubbornness fighting to elude her breakdown. But the fear bottled in her gut had been rooted too deep and began to spread like a viscous cancer through her system, causing her vision to swim and muscles to tremble.

"I know you're scared…"Crona muttered against her silky blonde hair. "Y-You already know I am. I still am... but…"

Maka felt one of the hands against her back lift and grasp against a piece of clothing, the stitched sleeve of Professor Stein's coat."But Professor Stein…he helped me not be afraid. At least not as much as I was when I overheard you and Soul. A-And with what he told me…I think can help you."

Her heartbeat punched against her ribcage and tears stung her eyes. Crona's hand gently petted her back, moving up and down in gentle caresses, and huddled his face into the spot between her neck and shoulder. "So please, don't hide, Maka. I-I want to help you. But I also want you to let me help you."

Her shivering continued and she felt the barrier within her was breaking, large crevices rifting the surface as Crona comforted her.

"I…I'm not so sure how," Crona began. "But I'll find a way to take care of you. I won't leave you, not ever." He held her trembling body tighter, his words still sounding frightened but brimming with loving care. "Because if there's anyone I'd choose to experience this with…it's you."

The fissures in her barrier deepened, cracking her inner shell further. She felt tears swim in her eyes and she pressed her face into his chest.

"I love you. So please, don't hide anymore."

The rifts finally burst open, tumbling down within Maka's body from the growing weight of his words, crashing down upon one another to allow the dam to finally burst. Her eyes were finally flooding with tears as she allowed herself to cry.

* * *

Crona expected Maka to be worried, to be as frightened as he was, but he didn't expect the violent shaking and heart-wrenching sobs being coughed into his chest. His heart-rate escalated with the ache in his torso as he comforted his loved one. Even through his thick robes he could feel the fabric dampening. Her grip against him had turned tight and desperate, as if she would fall if she let go.

Crona didn't know how to deal with this, how to handle this. What could he say? To tell her things would be okay would be an empty promise, he couldn't say that. How else could he help? What was another saying Maka would say whenever he was feeling sad or worried?

"I've got you, Maka." Crona whispered. He brought up a hand and combed his fingers through her hair, gently moving his fingers in circles. The same way she would comfort him when consumed by fear. "I'm here."

"Crona…"Maka whimpered, tightening her hold on him.

He placed his lips on the top of her head in response and stroked her back, hoping to ease her.

After the minutes of holding each other and Maka releasing her bottled emotions, she began to shakily speak, her voice thick with tears, "I'm scared Crona…I don't know what to do and-"Her breathing sped and he held her closer. "I-I'm just like Mama, so young and inexperienced and I…" She stopped to take in another shuddering breath. "I don't think I can do this…I _can't _do this…"

Crona collected his brows together, feeling all too familiar with those negative emotions she felt towards herself. He could understand a cowering weakling like himself being scared, but not Maka. She wasn't like him. A brave and strong woman like her shouldn't say such words. She had to know that.

"Please, don't say that."Crona replied softly. "Please don't…you know that isn't true."

"B-But I can't, I-I was an_ idiot_ who took advantage of you and I…"She stopped to take in another shaky gasp for air. "I can't do it Crona…I can't I-I'm not-"

Crona brought up his hands from her back to frame her face, tilting her damp face upwards. Dark ebon met a tearing forest-green with a new, calm firmness and his hands soft against her cheeks.

"Don't say that, don't ever say that." Crona said, his eyes focused on hers. "You're not an idiot and you didn't do anything wrong. I know you can do this."

The unfamiliar gaze of self-doubt remained in her eyes, another tear escaping. She shook her head against his hands. "Crona, I-I can't-"

Crona shook his head, his own face in a rare expression of firm determination and his voice barren from his stutter as he voiced his words from the heart, "Yes, you can. You're the strongest and most wonderful person I know. If anything can pull through this, it's you."

She stared at him, visibly perplexed and hiccuped as her eyes continued to tear. He wiped the shiny trails descending on her face with his thumbs, his finger softly stroking her cheek. "You'll be fine, I'll make sure of it. I'll protect you. I-I'll help you…in any way I can. And if I don't know how to help...I'll learn how."

Maka just continued to stare, her eyes flickering back and forth with her eyes still shining with tears. Slowly, he felt her hands slide up his back to slip into his hair, tugging at it. She lifted her up from his grasp to lean against his forehead, his concerned eyes staring into glistening emerald. Then her lips forced themselves onto his, desperate and fierce as she clung to him. He returned the affection, leaving a hand to cup her cheek and caress it softly as the other settled on the small of her back. Their lips moved with a slow tenderness against the other as they shared their breath.

After a few moments of caressing their lips, Maka retracted. Her cheeks were flushed and he felt her tug tighter at his hair as she pressed her forehead to his. Her tension-riddled wavelength finally pried free from its hiding place and began to match with Crona's, starting a soothing resonance between the two and nursing their shaking worries as their souls merged, injecting every uneased cell and muscle with a swift shot of relaxation and peace.

After their calming resonance was completed, she removed her forehead and stared at him for a moment, searching his eyes. Her face then moved from him, pressing her cheek onto his as her lips were positioned at his ear, moving to whisper to him.

Crona twitched as he felt her breath flow into his ear, speaking softly into it. As she spoke, he felt his eyes grow wider and wider and his face evolving from a tinge of pink to a hot, bright red, his jaw tightened in tension. Maka pulled away and nestled her head into his shoulder, softly stroking the back of his neck, and clinging to him with longing.

"_Please_, Crona."Maka whispered softly, her breath on his neck causing him to flinch.

Crona made a face of hesitation, uncertain. He fumbled his fingers nervously in the curve of her waist as he shakily spoke. "I-I think- um…I don't…I m-mean-isn't that…"He gulped, his face so heated he felt smoke could erupt from his ears. "Is…Is that even okay for the…" His eyes darted back and forth. "…you know."

"It's fine. Nothing more can happen" Maka assured, moving her fingers in pleasant circles on the nape of his neck, the other gripping his robe.

"A-Are you…sure?" Crona whispered, intensely nervous.

She nodded.

"Damn!" A raucous voice bellowed. "You just can't get your greedy cow-hooves off him, can you?"

Crona yelped as Ragnorak flopped onto his pink head. "Typical women mumbo jumbo. First you seem all fine n' shit, then you cry like a sissy, then you do that 'smoochy smooch' crap, and _then_ you want to get on top of him? Damn, your hormones are even more out of whack than I thought. And _that's_ saying something."

"Ragnorak!" Crona wailed, shooing his weapon off his head. "S-Stop that!"

"What? I'm just telling the truth! But of course you have no problem with it, especially when she gives you the invite to get under her skirt."

"Ragnorak." Maka seethed at him, her once soft and tearing eyes now firm and containing a dangerous fire. She took a book from an unknown location and swiped it at his head. He howled in pain from the impact.

"Damn it! Why is it the head? Why is it always the head?! That crap hurts!"

"If you don't want it to hurt more then get out of here!"

"Pheh, whatever. I don't want to stick around to see you rape my meister anyway. Screw you guys."

He blew a raspberry at Maka and stretched out his face with his balled hands in a distorted, foolish grin with his tongue lolling about before dissolving back into Crona, leaving Maka with a vein protruding from her temple and grinding her teeth harshly.

"He sure knows how to ruin a moment." Maka snarled.

"I know…I'm sorry. I-It just happens."

"Well if he makes it happen _again_, I can promise that I'm going to rip that demon a new asshole."

Crona flinched, confused and concerned. "But Maka, I don't even think he has or needs one of those…"

"I know, I know damn it!" She snapped. "It was a figure of speech!"

Crona's head jolted back, blinking multiple times and showing an expression of surprise by her short response. He knew she could be short-tempered when she wanted to, but he never saw it toward himself. He probably said something out of line. He shut his lips into a tight line and accepted the response, looking down in submission. As the seconds passed, Maka's frown loosened and remorse filled her face as she sighed, hanging her head.

"I'm sorry..." Maka muttered softly. She ran a hand through her hair and leaned back against his chest, an embarrassed blush tinting her cheeks. "I'm sorry for snapping, Crona. I've just been… moodier lately."

"I-Its okay. I understand."

Maka let out an amused sound and nestled back into his neck. "It's not okay, but I'm glad you understand. I'll do my best to not hit you with the brunt of my mood attacks."

"I don't mind."

Maka held him tighter and he felt her smile against his chest. "You're too kind for me, Crona. I don't care how many times you refuse that. That's what I believe completely. And I believe that you'll do everything you said you would."She held him closer, her smile broadening against him. "Thank you for believing in me, Crona. For believing in us."

Crona felt a memory spark and his lips part as he remembered a recent saying:

_"Faith is a powerful thing, Crona. It's needed so we may retain hope in succeeding in whatever challenges we face. So believe in your partner and child. It's important for a father and man to do so._

He slipped his arms around Maka and sheltered her in a close embrace, the two of them exchanging comforting body heat. The professor was right. It could take him forever to believe in himself and his capabilities, but he could most definitely believe in Maka…he could believe in his baby. Maybe everything could be okay. It was Maka after all, the most gentle and caring person he'd ever encountered. Anything that came from her would be perfect, wouldn't it? Even if he was…

Before he could fill his brain with negativities, he felt another soft kiss on his forehead and Maka lifted herself from his chest.

"Come on." She said, standing up and tugging at his hand. "It's been a long day, let's go lie down for a while."

Crona stood up in response and followed her as he was led to their bedroom, a blush forming on his cheeks as he ducked his head to stare at the floor.

…He still didn't know how to deal with code-names Maka used for what Ragnorak called "doing the nasty."

* * *

The once roaring rainstorm surging outside Patchwork Lab now morphed into a small patter of rain against glass. The only light filling the room was the computer at the doctor's desk and the green light of an electric clock stating the time: 2:00 a.m.

The doctor sat in his chair, his temple resting against his palm, fingers tapping against the top of his skull as he stared at his notes. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, now gazing at the crimson colored hollow of the dead creature's chest across the way with the dreamy intrigue of a student gazing out a window.

The skin had been much too charred and crisp to gather sufficient data from. Jacqueline must have been greatly startled to see her meister lunged upon, a typical and gracious reaction from a loyal weapon to their meister. But for him, it was partly saddening. The spongy entrails and stringy veins from the beast's innards revealed no traces of infection, internal rupture, or injury of any kind. He, of course, used different sorts of analyses and collected blood and tissue samples, but felt oddly doubtful of positive results in the later days they were supposed to show. After his analysis was completed, he concluded the battle scarred animal must have finally reached its end, hoping for a quick end from humans who would give it spiritual release.

He looked into the mirror of his computer to voice his reports again, looking at the image of where Lord Death stood. His charcoal shrouds dangled from his limbs and an enormous hand scratched underneath his humorous skull mask.

"As I said before," Stein started. "I won't be able to collect any other information than what I have for a few days time. But I found nothing odd in its innards. If there are virus traces in its blood, then that will be found in a couple days." His lips twitched for a fraction of a second, but he pushed his grin down. "Other than a sliced open pharynx and chest inflicted by Oxford, there was no other damage internally."

"I see." The Shinigami replied. "Well I'm glad to see you've already made such a thorough analysis, as always. Please be sure to give me an update when you do receive the results."

Stein arched a curious brow. He wasn't quite sure how the Shinigami found out about the creature, but he seemed more intrigued by it than Stein was, going as far as to call him at this time of night for an update. That was something that didn't happen often; not without a good reason at least. "Why are you so curious about a wild feline anyway? This isn't the first time they've tried to attack students. They're predators, it's what they do."

The Shinigami stared at him blankly through his skull mask, eliciting a small hum and bending side to side. "Simple curiosity is all. I wouldn't want some nasty pathogen hurting the animals and have the possibility of passing onto us. It's simple environmental control!"

Stein lowered his eyelids halfway with his brows following. He had done well in comforting Crona with the parcels possible contents by labeling it as "simple trophies", but he couldn't fool him in giving such a poor excuse for his interest in the animal. He knew him too well. The God didn't barge into another's business or project without a good cause.

"It's quite insulting when you try to lie, Lord Death." Stein said, closing his eyes. "I thought we knew each other better than that."

The Shinigami made a light tune beneath his unreadable mask, not responding but staring at Stein through the dark eye-holes fixedly.

"I can only assume you're interested in this creature as much as you are interested in this."Stein grabbed the parcel at his side, his fingertips tingling at a familiar sensation the crinkly brown parcel emitted. The package's drying process from the downpour caused the material to shrivel and stretch, revealing a thick rectangular protrusion outlining through the material. He frowned at the Shinigami as he held it, disliking his decision to have Crona bring an enchanted object into his household.

"You may have been able to coax Crona into comfort with this package's contents, but not me. You could have at least given me a warning before bringing me a magical object. I'm not comfortable with such a thing being around my family."

The Reaper sighed in what Stein had supposed was realization of being caught. "Now now, I can't tell what a simple parcel contains or emits by looking at it through a mirror. Even my abilities are limited. But now that you can sense there is a magical presence, we know now. Right?"

Stein kept his frown. If he had been able to theorize magical influence in Crona's case by the simple words of "mistress" and "mission" said by the Kishin egg knight, so could the Shinigami.

"Still, a warning of suspicion would have sufficed."

"I'll be sure to do that in the future. But understand that I will not have a magical item near let alone room itself in our academy, especially if there is an active spell on it. I admit to being suspicious, but I had to be sure by sending it to you. The mysteries of that package are simply too dangerous to have near our interior."

Stein closed his eyes slowly, vexingly understanding. Wanting to get it out of his sight, he opened up the drawer of his desk and threw the package into it, not even worrying about it being damaged. The spell made sure that was prevented, he was sure. How else could something resist a bloody needle strike that can pierce plated armor?

The Reaper made another sound of interest, inclining his head to the right as he watched. "Speaking of said package, just how did you get a hold of it, Stein?"

"Well, who was the person you instructed to give it to me?"

He inched his head farther to the side. "Despite my orders to rest he still delivered it to you?"

"Yes."

"I see." A silence hung over them both, the room quiet and the Shinigami's body bent at a forty five degree angle. He then shot up, and began nodding his head. "I suppose things didn't go too well for him back home, did they? That's a shame. I knew he would be surprised but I didn't think he would have such a negative reaction toward a happy occasion such as this."

Stein blinked a couple times, inching his own head to the side. It seemed the Shinigami wasn't telling him a lot more than he knew. "You knew, sir?"

The Shinigami bounced while nodding. He then pushed his face into the screen until it was fully consumed by his boned face, cheering out his delight. "Yes indeedy I did! I saw the child's soul the minute she reported back from her mission in New York. Oh, this is so exciting!"

He then stood back from the screen and began shaking his head, small tsks now escaping his mask, as if he was reprimanding a pet or small child. "But I'm quite startled she went on a mission while experiencing morning sickness. She should be more careful. And she was gone for a full week too! What nonsense. I can't have any meister of mine running around in dangerous conditions while with child. Just the thought itself is horrific! She deserves that week off I gave her to let her body rest after such strenuous activities."

Stein kept his neutral expression. That would explain why the straight-A student had been absent earlier today. It had worried him at first but Soul assured him she was fine and that she was simply resting at home from fatigue and a cold. He truly was a faithful partner to his meister, going as far as to cover for her in this situation so no one would smell trouble. He was a loyal weapon even in the darkest and deadliest of times, his first encounter with him proved that.

He gave a small nod in understanding and peered down at his notes again. "I understand."

Feeling the mental waves steadily begin to overlap him, Stein placed his hands on his desk and intertwined his fingers, rubbing his thumbs together in thought. For a few moments his mind began to drift away, swimming through the questioning whispers flowing through his head.

The Shinigami let out an interested hum and cocked his head as he stared at him. "Something on your mind?"

Stein's mind continued to wander, intrigue and questions floating around him. In addition to the animal corpse and a magical object obtained by an irregular pre-demon, the window of curiosity that had opened earlier never ceased its flood of question about Crona's baby. He was happy for him, that much he was sure. But there was still information about his irregular blood and magical linage that he didn't understand, something he wondered if he could research.

Surely things would be fine; magical beings aren't very different from humans biologically after all and by his observations, Ragnorak appears to be nothing but a simple prosthetic parasite within Crona in the representation of blood. So Maka's gestation process should be the same as any other human's. But his lust remained despite such logical assumptions, the need for knowledge to answer his questions. He wanted to understand _why_ things would be fine; to investigate further, if possible. This is the first instance where an individual has black blood after all. How could he be certain things would be fine when he didn't have the facts?

"A few things." Stein replied, removing his glasses to clean. He lifted up his patched shirt to rub them and noticed small black spots on the fabric, the place where Crona had grasped him from their embrace. It must have been the palm he had pierced with his nails.

He managed to keep down his grin of advantageous opportunity of research and retained his straight-faced expression. He put his glasses back on. "But that's the issue with having a mind like mine, the questions never stop." One of them in particular disturbed him greatly and a sigh left him at the thought. "And as much as I can say I am happy for them, I don't look forward to when Spirit finds out about this. I can only assume how he will react, and I doubt it will be anything good."

The Shinigami let out a worried hum to pair with Stein's exhale. "Let's be thankful he's on a mission right now. It will give the kids time to prepare themselves with the length of time he'll be gone."

Stein raised another brow in interest. "Odd that you'd give Spirit a mission outside Death City."

"Spirit was a better choice to investigate the cases we've been receiving lately. He's much more experienced than Soul when it comes to a Death Scythe's duties."

The flood of curiosity never seemed to stop its relentless torrent. "These cases are severe enough for a Death Scythe to get involved?"

The Shinigami made a sound of approval and nodded his head. "Of course, if a Kishin egg was simply hunting humans we would send our talented students after them. But when it involves civilians and meisters alike being killed or disappearing while on missions, the greater authority and power of a Death Scythe should be dispatched. I'm thankful that Crona has made Spirit's job a bit easier by eradicating a potential threat to his research. Even though he isn't a Death Scythe, he has great power and managed to down an enemy who has been giving many of our meisters plenty of trouble." He fell silent again, his eye-holes slightly narrowing. "The last thing we needed is for the knight to further the names to add to the already piling list to the fallen."

Stein felt his face steel upon his Lord's last words, cold slowly creeping into every facial feature. Maka was merely an empty seat that would return today, but there were others in his classroom and the others scattered across Shibusen that had become permanently absent. The names of those empty seats of meisters and weapons were now laying in an engraved gravestone inside the academy in honor of those who perished or went MIA in their missions…something which has been happening at a discomforting rate lately.

"I thought the knight was on your list due to the murders of civilians; just another potential Kishin in the making."

The Reaper stared off into space. "The knight has been killing innocents, yes. And it is enough reason for him to be on my hit list. But what makes his case strange is the reports I have been receiving. His targets did not just consist of simple civilians. If I were to make an educated guess, they were simply his snacks while performing his true objective."

"And his objective being?"

The Shinigami looked to him, his bone mask blank. "Tell me Stein, what kind of Kishin egg hunts and attempts to kill or abduct meisters and weapons while succeeding in keeping his tracks so well hidden? The last time I checked, their plan of evasion was to elude all Shibusen students while gathering souls to dine on with their tracks being sloppily covered, something this knight seems to be ignoring by the reports of students who have encountered or attempted to track him." He paused again, his voice growing angrier, back into his ancient gravelly voice. "The ones that managed to escape him, at least."

Stein felt his fury grow and he struggled to keep his anger at bay. His protective emotions towards his students hardened him, making him loathe the murderer more as a line Crona had told him repeated in his head; a saying the pre-demon taunted to him in his battle rage:

_ "Good meisters must be in low stock these days. You little hounds haven't given me a good challenge in years."_

"The knight isn't the only strange case out there either. Spirit is investigating the reports revolving where the knight has been traveling and other locations where the same instance has been occurring. It is either reports of people going missing, suspects dying in their cells from homicide or suicide, or complete MIA that I am receiving from our students and civvies alike."He looked to Stein, his tone serious. "You wish to know why I'm so interested in a simple creature's change in behavior, Stein? Well, then I'll ask you to scan all that I've told you. Surely you can figure it out and see how this scene looks familiar to you. And ask yourself this, when was the last time things like this have happened? The last time someone had gained an interest in our student's wonderful capabilities and even in simple civilians with no background in fighting. They have been gone for enough time for them to further their research and branch out to the animals in addition to humans."

A light bulb in Stein's head immediately flashed on as the pieces of information morphed into one face. He felt his expression harden further, the puzzle piece's images revealing to him who he was insinuating.

"It seems we're going to have to take a closer look at the shadows our enemy is hiding in. I can only hope Spirit can help us shed some light on them by investigating the remaining cases where the knight and other eggs have struck." His eye-holes narrowed further, his anger was palpable even through the mirror. "It would seem the Black Knight is right in that we won't be hearing the 'last of his kind'. His puppeteer mistress is making sure of that. Sid even volunteered to assist in the searches. I bet he wouldn't want to miss tracking this woman in particular."

Stein remained silent, taking it in.

"Bring the parcel to the academy's steps tomorrow. I will make sure Ms. Diehl will meet you there. Perhaps we can consult with her on how we will approach this; see what she can do to help us in regards to that enchantment."

"Understood."

"Good. Well then! It's getting late! Off you go! Beddy bye time! See ya tomorrow!"

His computer screen clicked off and Stein was left alone with his thoughts. Such an eventful day and the Shinigami expected him to be able to get some sleep? That was simply absurd.

He took a hold of his shirt and stared at the darkened stains upon thick fabric, retrieving a sterile swab from one of his stocks. He began collecting, attempting to gain as much as the black blood as he could in hope to retrieve some kind of answers in his research. He had his hypotheses in regards to this situation, but what good were they when you had no experiments to test them and prove which one was right?

He concealed the collected swabs in a tight air-locked bag, hoping to transfer them into a male rat he had in his dissection stocks for his classes, paired with its female partner. He doubted there would be any critical risks during the process, but he would take care of them properly once his analysis of their reproduction was completed. They weren't humans, of course, but any kind of experiment in regards to black blood was better than none.

He opened up his drawer again to remind himself what to bring to the school tomorrow and rested his eyes where the package lay, faintly feeling the enchantment through the air itself. He frowned, disliking the origins of who this package may reside to. He could finally see why Lord Death was so interested in Crona's case; in this flesh heap on his surgery table. Erratic behaviors always did revolve around her hosts.

He closed his eyes and closed the drawer. Like the heretic and evolution obsessed witches before her, it seemed another evil was finally uprooting from the shadows after four years of mystery, thirsting for revenge and attention.

He looked back at the dissected creature, a question in his mind.

Perhaps he should take another look at that skin; a closer look at that blood. Perhaps an incision mark or peculiar traces will be there like the last time.


	6. Unveiling

**Phew, this one took a little more time to make. There's a lot of dialogue in this chapter, but hopefully it won't be too slow paced.**

* * *

Flames danced on the sides of a torched corridor, its shadows moving graciously against the carved rock tunnel as a foreign shadow joined the sway of the fire's shaped silhouettes. A white cloaked man walked toward the door at the end of the man-made hall, calmly approaching the entrance to his leader's quarters.

As the servant walked, he remembered how the tight confines of this corridor would have once added to his crippling claustrophobic tendencies in his weaker years, making him paranoid and causing his chest to tighten so fiercely he would often reach hyperventilation. Luckily, he had been purged of that concern years ago. Now he could travel through places such as this without hesitation or concern; all he had to give in exchange was complete servitude and obedience to the leader who resided behind the door before him.

As he neared the entrance, he let an exhale of warm breath leave him, bringing it over his raised hands to warm them. He scowled in frustration. His claustrophobia may have been cured, but his irritation of this damned place was not. This location was irritably cold and full of disgusting arachnids and reptiles, things he despised rather than feared now. But residing within this heaping rock was all that could be mustered since their retreat from Death City, courtesy of his leader's decision to burrow underground until the witches fighting the academy had been killed off, until the Kishin was disposed of, until the academy was off their trail to focus on other evils troubling them; the perfect advantage to observe Shibusen's best and brightest.

An admiring sharp toothed grin surfaced on his lips, reveling in the image of a malevolent leader who was too cunning and marvelously devious to be caught. Through his master's superior intellect and guidance, they were able to survive without being detected after four years of the Shibusen hounds hunting for their trail.

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, he felt his foot push against something soft and a foul smell entered his nostrils. He gazed to the ground to find the normal stacks of bodies piling to the side of his master's door, waiting to be tossed out like the trash on garbage day. He scoffed sharply, kicking the limp limb to the side and pushing the corpse back from the walkway with a foot. Such embarrassing strength and bodies those young meisters possessed, proving to not even be of use to his leader by quickly succumbing to death by the experimentation processes. It seemed that the only contribution from them that would be any sort of good in this world would be to decay as the useless flesh heaps they were to mix with the rest of the dirt. They should feel right at home and safe when back with the easily stepped on Earth.

He stopped outside the iron hinged door that parted the world of the underlings to the master. He allowed himself to knock twice in a polite warning of entry and waited for a response. In a matter of seconds, the door opened on its own, welcoming the new visitor.

A soothing warmth flooded his covered face as he entered a dim candlelit room, the canyon colored walls decorated with shelves of books, research materials, vials, and jars of creatures; her charcoal colored cauldron idly sat in the middle of the room across her desk with his hooded comrades standing on guard. The master's quarters was always so warm and reeking of high intelligence. Unlike the space near the surface, his leader's work space was far enough beneath the ground and rock that it was wrapped in a warm blanket of protection against the glacial winds and freezing temperature the desert night above offered.

But even with the heavenly warmth, his master still sat before him in a thick pea-coat, hiding from the cold. Her jacketed and hooded back was faced away from him, looking behind her desk, too mesmerized by her creatures within the glass box and books upon the table, her magical pen writing notes as if it had a mind of its own.

"What is so important that you must disturb me from my work?" His mistress young voice flatly asked, her pen on the desk continuing its writing.

The cloaked man stayed silent for a moment, collecting himself. He didn't pride himself in informing his mistress that one of her greatest test subjects had been defeated.

He lowered his head and gave his mistress a submissive bow, his stinger-like index finger placed on his robed left breast, over the insignia their army brandished. "I have a report, my lady." His gravelly voice responded.

"Make it quick. I'm busy."

He paused for a moment and then began to speak. "I am very grieved to inform you The Black Knight is no more. We have received intelligence from our messengers confirming his death in Death Valley."

The scratching of her pen against the table ceased, the pointed end lifting up to him almost as if in threat, like a venomous stinger risen and prepared to attack. He stared back at it impassively, waiting for his master's reply. After a couple of moments passed, the pen descended down, writing again.

"And how did this happen?" Her once bored and flat voice now showing traces of interest.

"The knight mentioned in his report that he had a stalker to take care of before returning to base and would call back when he was finished." He paused for a moment. "We never received his call and in the location he last reported from, we detected a foreign mirror call signal. The messengers sent out for the body did not attain an image of his defeater, but we were able to trace the call to Death City."His face squirmed in distaste and the end of his lips curved downwards. "It would seem a student from Shibusen has been able to track him."

A thoughtful sound left his mistress. "Even with our help in covering his footsteps, he was still discovered?"

"Yes, my lady."

The pen wrote slowly across the notepad and a small manicured hand atop her desk began to tap against it in thought. He couldn't help but ponder as well. Someone must have had a background with witches in order to see through their cover ups, through their masterful deceit.

She leaned back in her chair, her voice containing hints of disappointment as she replied, "That's a shame." She paused. "I take it his cargo was also retrieved?"

Sadness crept into the faithful servant's heart from their failure, bowing farther. "We found no traces of it. The student must have taken it."

Her fingers clacked again against her desk. "I see."

It pained him to hear the solemn disgruntlement of his mistress. As much as he despised the conceited brute, the knight was a valuable research tool to his mistress. Throughout their time here, he gave her information of how much a vessel could endure and sustain a massive dose of power from her parasitic methods. He was the only one capable of enduring such a high dosage without his body breaking down from the stress, like the deceased eroding meisters outside the door had. The strength he attained through his mistress's methods enabled him to survive the many assaults on and from Shibusen students. He was even successful in capturing some of the excelling opponents to be potential soldiers, going as far as to kill them if they were too much trouble to be caught.

The cloaked man then snorted, shaking his head. True, the knight was extremely powerful, but he was a small brained savage until the end. He had the chance to use the stinger attached to his right forearm, but instead of keeping it under clothing like he and the others, he covered it with his metal gauntlets; he concealed a chance that could have possibly saved his life. The idiotic bastard should have known the doping rings digging into his left hand's fingers didn't provide the venomous power his mistress's parasite did, only his barbaric strength. Such a _f__ool._

Seeing his mistress still did not relay an order to him yet, his mind continued to feed him thoughts of cruel spite, thoughts he had even when he wasn't under her influence.

In often times he wished the knight never traveled from his lands in Europe to the doorstep of the power-riddled witch before him. Like many of the subdued minds in the base or in the field, the knight had fallen prey to the magical siren's call of fearless and administered power, shown and told across the world when she unleashed he and other minions during Battle Festival to ravage Death City. Despite their failure and their miraculous escape back then, she had unintentionally caused a swarm of evil souls to approach her venomous throne, the now obedient soldiers begging and offering their service to his queen in exchange for the release of fear.

Another sneer split the hooded man's face. And all they needed to give in return was the loss of a mind, the loss of the source that created fear itself. Not a bad deal at all. And through that deal, the knight and other evil souls gained a bigger reputation with help from her influence; even he could never achieve such strength he had now then as a self-conscious and weak NOT student. No…here with his mistress he was somebody. He was a leader. He was a fearless fighter for his beloved master. As were his comrades.

His attention was brought out of his thoughts as a loud exhale left his mistress, irritated dismay reeking off the gust. "It would seem we need to lie low again. It's much too soon to make our move and I do not doubt that the academy will be suspicious of me."

He kept his bow. "I understand."He paused again, thinking. "My lady, shall I assemble a recovery party to retrieve your parcel? Surely the student must not have gotten far."

"No, we will worry about that later. I'd be as big a fool as the knight to have not taken careful precautions." Her magical pen drifted down to the table and she lifted the paper she wrote against, exhaling sharply. "But I suppose this is what I should expect from a brainless brute. And now I have to find replacements for him and his lost cargo. Such a nuisance."A black sleeved arm with dainty, pallid hand rose into the air, snapping her fingers in call for attention. "So, leave me to my work. You are all dismissed."

The two hooded men to the sides of her desk immediately moved upon the order, moving past their cloaked comrade to exit the door. He turned on his heel to join them, partially saddened his time with his leader was over.

The hooded servant nearly passed the door frame until he halted, hearing the opening of shelves, the clinking of beakers and opening of jars behind him, the formaldehyde and magic pungent in the air. An excited thrill raced down his spine, the grin that had descended now wide across his face again. He couldn't stop himself from gazing behind him, despite his mistress forbidding such a bewitching sight. Perhaps it was his own human instinct left over that made him want to defy such a rule, turning behind him to view the enchanted works of his mistress.

Like a primitive ritual of dancing around a ceremonious fire, glass bottles and beakers floated, upturned, and spun their contents inside as they quickly encircled around the now ignited cauldron. The now bubbling and frothing pot was rising in brightened colors with every artificial, biological, or liquid substance dropped into it, illuminating the room with multitudes of colors as they fell. Green fog began to billow out from the top and cascade down to the floor, consuming the floor in an eerie mist. His mistress lifted herself from her seat, her red heels clacking under her as she grabbed one of the red vials held in the rows among the side wall, one of the necessary components to her witch's brew. She still did not know of his remaining presence in her occupied state as she approached her cauldron, lifting the opened vial and preparing to pour it in.

While the servant watched her stand beside her witch's concoction and lifting the vial to drain it, the servant couldn't help but let out a maddened giggle of interested excitement, as if this last move was the shocking climax to a film. From his sudden sound, her lathered black face suddenly snapped toward him in awareness, the liquid contents now falling from the vial and illuminating the room and the witch's face with a misty plume of crimson. His enamored shaking toward the sight only increased as a revealed set of unique purple and pink yin and yang eyes bored into his own, his mistress's pallid face creased with annoyance.

"Did you mistake my order as an invite to stay, Prototype?" Her young voice asked angrily, her emphasis of the last word leaving her in a spat."Why are you still here?"

His maddened smirk of glee remained. Her intentional belittling of his stature to her never bothered him, he could care less really. Besides, the attention of his red, upturned "w" pupil was focused on the set of magical eyes before him, staring at his own fixedly as the mist's threatening color of red highlighted her features.

He saw her eyes narrow further in anger of his lack of response and he quickly gave her a low bow in apology. "My humblest apologies Lady S-"

"Do not speak my name." She demanded harshly. "For such a disobedient creature as yourself, you don't deserve such a privilege."

He walked backward while bowing still, voicing his apologies. She dismissed it with a sharp respiration between teeth and slammed the door shut with a wave of her hand as he passed the door frame.

He stood there, his grin splitting his face as he replayed the image of her segmented eyes gazing into his own. He then straightened his lowered form and turned his attention to ridding the bodies who filled the corridor with a revolting stench. He lifted as many as he could to be rid of by their breathing trash disposals, and continued to think of his mind's controller, his purpose for fighting.

The Alluding Scorpion…although that nickname was true, he would prefer that the insects of Shibusen change it to The _Alluring_ Scorpion; that seemed much more appropriate. Surely he wasn't the only one who thought as such.

His grin felt to be near his earlobes now. And he was sure that soon, they would think that too; when the academy's dogs finally become brethren of their traitorous army.

* * *

Another knock tapped against the wooden door and Maka struggled to hold back her irritation. She was too tired, too sick, and too annoyed by it all to deal with anything more right now.

"Maka?" The concerned voice behind the door asked. "Maka, are you alright?"

"Don't come in here."

"B-But I-"

"I said, _don't come in here_."

"Maka…"

"Oh just leave the harpy alone already!" Ragnorak's loud voice bellowed. "If she wants to upchuck her insides in solitude then let her. It maybe a slow death, but at least she'll get her death wish."

"I-I…_Insides_?!" Crona replied frantically. He rattled the door knob and shook the door so he could get into the bathroom, his rapid breathing audible through the wood. "M-Maka?!"

Maka groaned and held her head in her hands. She really didn't want Crona to see her in such a state, but she didn't want him worrying over something idiotic Ragnorak had said either. His intelligence in this kind of thing was still very low. She struggled to move herself away from the toilet seat at first, but caved as Crona's audible panic did nothing but escalate.

As she pushed herself up from the floor and extended a hand to unlock the door, she stopped abruptly, her hand flinching back. A sudden wave of nausea crashed over her and quickly began to fill her gullet, causing her to lurch forward and retreat back to the toilet bowl to expel her breakfast. Even through her loud disgorging she managed to hear Ragnorak bursting with laughter behind the door, almost sounding like he was laboriously gasping for air. Crona, on the other hand, let out whimpers and sounds of fear as he continued to pry the door open without breaking it.

After she was finished, she felt another uncomfortable squirm in her stomach and began grumbling under her breath.

This was so damn _annoying_.

Outside the door, she heard Crona and Ragnorak's voices become louder:

"Yeah, that's right. Open the door pinky! I finally have a camera this time. I wanna see Ms. Bulimia cough up last week's lasagna and put it in my memory album!"

"G-Give me that!" Crona demanded, moving around as if in struggle. "I don't want you taking pictures of Maka when she's like this. A-And she's not bulimic!"

"Hey, hey knock that off! Stop trying to reach for it damn it! Do you realize what kind of opportunity this is for me? _Do you_?!"

"I don't care!"

"Obviously!"

Maka's eye continued to twitch as another wave of nausea passed and a crash was heard, making Crona let out a terrified sound and Ragnorak to roar loudly in frustration.

"You asshole! You broke it! Now how am I supposed to enjoy this later?! You stupid little-"

"Knock it off!" Maka yelled, getting up and kicking the door open, her eyes in irritated blazes.

Crona yelped loudly in surprise, his panicked grey eyes wide. Ragnorak recoiled behind him from the hurricane of wrath and sunk back into his meister's skin.

Her snarl of fury and glare of death quickly softened upon Crona's expression of wrongdoing etching his face, his hands wringing together as he stared at the mass of broken glass and metal on the floor. It was probably low of her to think this, but since the camera belonged to Soul and he never really used it, she didn't care so much about it breaking.

"I-I'm sorry, Maka!" Crona squeaked, his eyes darting up and down from the floor to her. "I-I promise I'll pay for it! I-I didn't mean-"

"It's fine." She said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Just let it go."

His gaze on her was uncertain. "A-Are you su-?"

Maka quickly raised up a hand before he could finish, requesting for silence and Crona's mouth immediately snapped shut. They stood there quietly for a few moments as a chagrin began to form on her face, feeling another upheaval gradually travel up her esophagus. She clamped her hand quickly over her mouth and rushed back into the bathroom, uncaring to close the door behind her.

Crona shouted out her name in concern and scrambled forward to help her, but by the loud topple and pained groan she heard in the back of her, he must have fallen over his own shaking feet. As much as she'd love to help him get up, her stomach kept her from doing such as it didn't approve of her escaping the toilet rim so soon.

Maka shook her head and let out an irritated exhale as she finished. It was like clockwork; the minute the hand touches 8:00 a.m in the morning, it was time to unload her food for the past three days. Absolutely ridiculous.

As she breathed for air from her vomiting, she felt a gentle hand on the center where her shoulder blades met, softly going up and down. She peered to the side to see a heavily concerned Crona crouched next to her, his tired eyes scanning her intently.

Her lips curved gently at him, placing her hand on the knee concealed by his robe. "I'm fine, Crona. This type of thing is normal."

Crona looked at her hesitantly but nodded, continuing her stroke her back. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Her lips turned upwards to smile wider but the muscles quickly retreated back down as another wave of queasiness struck her. Crona looked at her in shock as she quickly turned away from him again, his hand almost instinctively knowing to reach for her hair and keep it up while she regurgitated again, his free hand rubbing her shoulder.

After the nausea passed, Maka leaned back against the legs beneath her, sighing on the floor from the relief of the vomiting subsiding and from Crona's comforting hand moving on her back. By the calming expression Crona held, she suspected he was also relieved to see the vomiting had ended and that she didn't barf up an intestine tendril or any other organ like Ragnorak claimed she was.

He looked at the toilet in puzzlement, then to her again, his panicked eyes worried and wide as he asked his question, "This…this is…_normal_?"

Maka smiled a little at that. He didn't know much at all and she had to admit that it was pretty cute. To help make up for that lack of intelligence, he tried to learn from a book he said Professor Stein gave him. Over the few days they had the apartment to themselves he had been trying to read it, but she always managed to find him fainted on the floor or curled up in his corner whenever he tried. He really was trying, but even a blind person could see this was still uncomfortably new to him; his wheezing of discomfort and confusion was simply a huge giveaway.

"Yes, but it only lasts a little while." Maka assured, smiling softly at him.

His eyes studied hers and he soon returned a shy smile back to her, seeing she was better. He smoothed out a few loose strands away from her face and extended a hand to help her up. He carefully lifted from her spot on the bathroom floor and led her to their bedroom to lie down.

"C-Can I get you anything?" Crona asked as he looked down at her, his fingers tapping together and eyes alight with hopeful usefulness.

Her smile became broader, leaning back against the pillows of the bed. "Some water to wash out this nasty taste would be nice."

That sweet genuine smile she loved came across his lips again and he quickly turned to travel to the kitchen.

While she waited, she noticed the circular make-up mirror on her nightstand was slowly pulsing with light, an identification there was a message left for her. A feeling of reluctance entered her as she debated to move herself to retrieve it or not. She had been ignoring a lot of calls since Crona's return, something that she knew was harsh of her to do to friends that were worried about her. Tsubaki, Kid, and even Liz or Patty, would call to see if she was alright, making her feel even more remorseful for ignoring them.

A shudder went through her as she thought of another who often called. Although she felt bad for ignoring her friends, she most definitely did _not_ feel bad for ignoring Spirit. He was used to her ignoring him anyway, so she didn't concern herself with him being worried about her. Like Crona, she just couldn't deal with him yet. His mission in another country was like a God send for them to have enough time to collect themselves to tell him…and she didn't like to think about how he would react. His emotional reactions were always unpredictable.

She shook her head violently, eager to push the thoughts of her father into the farthest edges of her mind. She knew she couldn't hide from her friends and stay at home forever, Soul deserved the chance to come back home. He had been kind enough to sleep at Black Star's place and was even capable of warding off Blair while she and Crona figured things out, laying down a cover story for his reasons of being out of the house and to leave her alone.

She made her decision as she formed her resolve and sighed as she grabbed the small mirror atop the nightstand, tapping the glass twice to relay the message from a possible friend. As she waited, an image of a familiar ninja weapon popped up, her face showing mild concern and affectionate warmth.

"Hi Maka." The image of Tsubaki smiled. "I know you're probably resting right now, but I just wanted to check in to see if everything was alright. Soul told us you contracted a nasty flu that you caught in New York and that you don't want to be disturbed, so I understand that you don't pick up. I do hope you're feeling better and I bet Crona is taking great care of you." Her caring face then began to carry traces of gentle pleading, her motherly friend clearly worried. "But please give me a call back when you can. And if you need any sort of help, please let me know. We miss you and Crona at school and we're having a picnic this Friday in the park. I know you're sick and it's only if you feel you are well enough to come, but we'd love it if you guys would be able to join us." The small smile that entranced many now graced her face, a small laugh leaving her. "And all I can say is, I understand if you can't come, but I'm not sure Black Star will. I can't count how many times Soul and I have had to calm him down or distract him from breaking down your door to see if you're okay. You can't even imagine how much food it takes for him to change his mind about something. His determination still amazes me." Her laugh then became nervous, a small rise of red in her cheeks in what seemed to be embarrassment. "But I suppose I'm just rambling now, aren't I? Sorry about that. So give me a call back if you can, Maka. I hope to see you soon."

The mirror clicked off and Maka stared at the sorrowful reflection of herself. The majority of the week off Lord Death had given her had been spent in their apartment, hiding from the world outside and their friends. And those people were worried about her, they were waiting for her to come back. Seeing Tsubaki's sweetly concerned face only made her decision to hide seem even more idiotic. And even if Black Star was a flaming pitchfork in the rear at times, she was thankful her faithful friend was concerned for her health.

"Maka?"

Maka lifted her sights from her mirror, to a head-tilted Crona, his hands holding a glass of water and a plastic cup of Jell-O to help ease her upset stomach. She let the side of her lips curl upwards, placing the mirror back on her nightstand. "I'm okay, just looking at a few messages."

"O-Oh." Crona said, outstretching his hands to meet hers, handing over the water and Jell-O. "Who called?"

"Tsubaki called. I guess Soul told the group I caught some bug while on our mission. She said she misses us and she invited us to a picnic in a couple days." She looked into the water in her glass, thinking. She turned to him. "So, what do you think?"

"H-Huh?"

"Do you want to go?"

The familiar wrinkling of hesitation creeped into his features and he fidgeted against the bed. "I-I don't know. Do you think we should?"

"We've been inside for a good few days. Maybe it will be good for us to get some air for a little bit."

"But a-are you sure you should go out like this? ...You've been vomiting all week."

Maka felt an embarrassed flush come into her cheeks, averting her gaze for a moment and returning to his. "I know...but I'll be fine."

"B-But-"

"I said, _I'll be fine_." She smiled, reaching over to grasp his hand. "This normally happens in the morning for me anyway. I should be fine when lunch time comes around." Okay?"

Crona looked at her attentively for a few moments then allowed himself to give a small nod in reply. Her smile widened. She leaned forward from her pillows and wrapped her arms around her lanky partner's slim form. She nestled into his chest, enjoying his comforting presence as he returned the embrace, a light tremble in his limbs. He was nervous, that much was clear and she wasn't exempt from that fear either.

But they had been hiding long enough. In two days, they would finally go back out into the unpredictable world.

* * *

The blazing sun huffed with laughter in the humid Friday sky as Maka and Crona walked through the forested park. The couple made their way on the stony pathway to the place Tsubaki told them the group was to meet for the picnic. It made Maka's spirits soar and happiness to grow to see how excited Tsubaki was when she called her back to tell her she was well, Tsubaki's happiness extending even farther from her and Crona's decision to come to the picnic. The lovable weapon's excitement was practically infectious.

While walking through the lush park, Maka stared at the full, green trees and cloudless sky, a beautiful day that she could have hid from. By looking at the scenery, Maka grew even more overjoyed in her decision to join the group. Not only would she see the lovely sights of the bright afternoon, but she would see the friends who always made her so happy. She missed them during her absence and her sadness only pursued upon remembering the bright flashes of light signaling a call earlier in the week. Every time she saw it, she would immediately place the mirror down on its face so she wouldn't be tempted to see. Just the remembrance of it all made a hot stab of pain propel into her heart, the muscles in her face resembling pain and sadness.

"Maka?"Crona asked.

Maka lifted her head and saw a worried Crona glancing down at her, his dark eyes scanning hers. "A-Are you alright? Are you getting sick again?"

A small blush formed on her cheeks. During the travelings among her thoughts, Crona must have mistaken her pained faces of guilt and constant movements of her head as the ones she made when desperately searching for a bucket to throw up in.

"I'm fine." Maka smiled, slipping her fingers through his. "I'm just thinking. It's been awhile since we've been outside. I almost forgot how beautiful the park can be."

"Oh, o-okay." He replied uncertainly. He looked around, admiring with her. "It...I-It is a pretty day today."

Maka quickly shot up on her tip toes to softly kiss his cheek to comfort him and his cheeks turned pink in response, giving her a wobbly smile as he held her hand tighter.

As they traveled down the stone decorated walkway, they came into a familiar grass plain surrounded by a circular barrier of trees with the sun blazing overhead: the perfect place for a picnic.

"There you guys are!" A familiar raucously masculine voice yelled. A loud rush swiped through the air behind the arriving couple and a strong force jumped on them, wrapping their strong arms around Maka and Crona's necks. "It's about damn time you guys showed up! The nerve to leave your God in worry and not give me an update! No subordinate of mine gets out of my sight!"

"Yeah yeah, hello to you too, Black Star." Maka grumbled in annoyance. She wriggled her way out of the Star Clan member's grasp and let out an exasperated breath, three-quarters of herself annoyed with Black Star already and the other quarter glad to see the egotistical idiot.

Black Star guffawed with amused laughter, releasing the pair from his clutches. "Ah well, I'll let it slide just this once. One of the duties of being a God is to be merciful to his ignorant and weaker subjects on the rules." Black Star turned from the brow twitching Maka to face a finger-fumbling Crona. "So, how you holding up twinkle-toes? Been doing those moves I taught you while taking a break from school? You know the drill, there are no days off on Black Star's workout regiment!"

He lifted up his fists to his face and shot them through the air, mimicking a boxer's punches while circling Crona.

"Y-Yeah I have…although I-I don't know if I can hit as strong as you." Crona replied sheepishly.

"Practice makes perfect my pink haired underling!"Black Star said, ruffling a calloused hand in Crona's hair. "Don't worry, you'll get it. With my help you'll be able to overpower the strongest bear alive!"

Black Star paused, a mischievous grin surfacing on his lips. He leaned in towards Crona and elbowed his gut while putting a hand to the side of his mouth in secret, his naturally loud voice saying, "Or strong enough to get that lioness of yours on her back. I'm telling you, chicks love to be overpowered like that. You'll score massive points."

Crona recoiled back in surprise, his face burning a dark shade of red as Black Star laughed heartily, slapping his shoulder as Crona clenched his arm. His guffaw ended abruptly as Maka unveiled her book from its mysterious hiding spot and lodged it into Black Star's skull. He yowled and rubbed his head in attempt to soothe the pain.

"You really are something else, aren't you?"Maka hissed, the book she held steaming from the harsh impact.

"Oh come on, I'm just trying to help out!" Black Star rebuked brashly.

"The last thing Crona needs is your pig advice!"

"Yeah right, like _you_ out of all people are going to start complaining about something like _that_. You maybe a nerdy book worm on the outside but I bet my earnings you're a kinky dominatrix in the sack. Go ahead. Admit it, there's no point in hiding."

"Oh, that's _it_ you rotten little piece of-!"

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" A light feminine voice asked, halting Maka as she drew back her hand to swipe her book towards Black Star.

In the midst of her quarrel with the cocksure ninja meister, the sight of a bored looking Soul and concerned Tsubaki sitting across from them on a red and white checkered blanket filled her vision. In the middle of the two was an assortment of bento boxes, each filled with different assortments of tantalizing foods: seasoned rice balls peppered with sesame seeds, shredded and kabobed meats, ham and cheese sandwiches, and neatly wrapped sushi's; even thermoses filled with soups and drinks were paired with each lunch. The aroma nearly sent Maka's mouth watering. Even Crona stared and sniffed in astonishment of the pleasant aroma and display.

"Tsubaki, did you make all this?"Maka asked, baffled.

Tsubaki beamed her sweet motherly smile to Maka. "Well it's the least I could do to make you feel better. Soul said you've been having a rough time eating with your illness, but since you said you've been feeling better I thought you deserved to eat as much as you'd like. I hope you like it."

Maka's sights shifted to Soul's and he smirked. She smiled in response. "Thank you, Tsubaki. I bet it tastes as great as it smells."

"I-It smells fantastic." Crona smiled timidly. He walked closer to the blanket and let his eyes roam across the blanket, mystified by the amounts of food. "I-I've never seen this much food before..."

"If you guys want to dig in you can." Tsubaki said happily. "There's plenty for everyone."

"Mmmm_mmmm_ something smells _goooood_!" a bubbly voice cheered.

"I hope you guys are prepared to have your food taken and molded into art, Patty's feeling extra happy today." Liz stated with her arms folded as she approached the group with her laughing sister.

"Maka! Crona! There you poo-faces are!" Patty rushed over to the couple and gathered them in a tight hug. "You had us all so worried! What do I always tell you?" She released them and wagged a finger in front of her comically determined face. "If some mean nasty germ is trying to kill you, you just burn it with fire and punch it in the face! Easy peesy!"

"It's not as easy as you make it out to be, Patty…" Liz sighed.

"But at least you're okay! What did the meanie germ give you? Diarrhea? Stomach Flu? Chicken pox? Soul said you were really contagious!"

"If someone had diarrhea they're not going to just go out there and admit it, Patty…" Maka said.

"Well whatever then! What was it?"

"It was just a bit of a vomiting spell, nothing too bad."

"What, did you eat some old steak under the table or something?"Black Star asked, his mouth beginning to be filled with rice balls.

"No Black Star, that's something _you_ would do."Maka retorted.

"So, it was the Stomach Flu? Tsubaki asked, concerned.

Maka resisted the urge to shyly bite her lip, still wondering if she should come out and tell the truth."To some degree, yes."

Soul raised a white eyebrow, a question behind his scarlet eyes. Maka could tell he'd taken the effort to keep their teammates ill informed, to allow her and Crona to take the reins and give the group the news. He was a great partner really, always looking out for her and having her back. But was this really the time?"

"I must say, it smells heavenly over here." A male posh voice said. "Unless my nose deceives me I'd say Tsubaki has made something spectacular once again."

Maka's head turned from Patty's to the source of the voice.

Walking toward them was Death the Kid, dressed in his usual black suit decorated with symmetrical white rectangles along his chest and his hands tucked in jet-black dress pants. From his training and reconnaissance missions from the academy, two of his white Sanzu lines were now connected across his striped black hair, still showing he was not yet a full-fledged Shinigami. As he moved his eyesight from the blanket to his side, his golden eyes appeared to warm upon sight of his leader of the resonance team and smiled.

"It's good to see you out of the house, Maka."Kid said. "You had us very worried upon Soul's explanation of your illness. Are you feeling better?"

Maka returned the smile. "A little bit, yes."

"That's good to hear. We've missed you in lecture hall. Things aren't quite the same without the class's shining star."

"Tell me about it." Soul said, picking up a rice ball to shove in his mouth, small flecks of white rice spewed from his mouth as he chewed and spoke. "Ox won't shut up on how he's number one in the class and that you've run away due to his 'overpowering intellect'. He can be a cool guy, but his annoying attitude blocks that out."

"Oh is he now?"Maka said, an annoyed frown tugging at her lips.

"Every damn day." Black Star replied, joining his friend in engorging the food in front of them.

Kid sighed, shaking his head lightly. "That's interesting that you seem to know how irritating Ox has been during class, seeing as how you two have been playing a constant game of hooky during the time Maka has been away. I don't even think I've even seen you in class this entire week."

Soul and Black Star scrunched their faces and lips tightly, almost as if the food they had just eaten had been a bowl of sour lemons. Their eyes darted back and forth to each other awkwardly. A vein throbbed in Maka's temple and Soul made a nervous smile, shrugging.

"Hey man, Death Scythe privileges."

Maka hucked her book at Soul causing him to yell out in pain as it met with his head. "Privileges my ass, idiot."

Black Star laughed while Soul growled in frustration.

Kid made a small smile, seemingly happy of the familiar scene, then shifted it towards Maka. "So, since you're feeling better, do you think you'll be coming back to school soon? Stein has a big essay coming up that I don't think you'd want to miss."

Maka's bright smile shifted into a nervous twitch of lips and lifted a finger to scratch the side of her cheek. "I'm still trying to figure that out actually."

A small frown came across Kid's face and Crona tensed noticeably, gripping his arm tightly. Tsubaki stared curiously at Crona then to Maka.

"What do you mean? Aren't you coming back?"She asked.

"Of course I am. I…just have to wait until I get better, that's all."

"But aren't you feeling better now? Patty asked, her bright face puzzled. "I mean, you just said so and if you're not, then why are you here? You never come out when you're sick."

"Well I-"

"Yeah!" Black Star jumped in front of her and put a gloved hand on her forehead. "And you aren't running a fever either. At least I don't think so."

"Thanks for the heads-up, Dr. Quack." Maka huffed, pushing Black Star away harshly.

"So is the germ still doing its nasty business then?" Patty said, cocking her head to the side.

"Well-"

"She does look a little pale…"Liz analyzed.

"That's because-"

"That old steak must have really blown out her insides."Black Star laughed.

"Will you _just_-"

"Maka."

"_What_?" Maka snapped, her pigtails whipping against her cheeks as her head shot toward a calmly collected Kid.

His eyes were glued to hers, scanning her and his face barren of emotion. He leaned is head by an inch and asked, "Are you sure everything is alright?"

For what felt like the longest moments in her life, Maka stared at the young Shinigami, his godly eyes examining hers. For a brief moment, she felt a small tingle in her chest, like her soul was under a bright examining light, warming the floating embodiment of life concealed there. Maka tensed as his gold eyes quickly shifted down to her stomach and back up again to her eyes, his eyes softly squinting in curiosity.

She gulped. He saw it.

"Alright alright, _now_ what's going on?" Liz said, putting her hands on her hips."First Patty and Black Star won't stop yapping and now Maka and Kid are standing like it's some kind of Cowboy stand-off." She looked over toward Crona, her face a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. "Crona, can you help us out over here?"

Maka had been too irritated from the interrogation to check on Crona. She removed her gaze from Kid to him, examining the trembling man next to her.

His hand still gripped his arm, the other limb that was held wrapped around his stomach in a self-hug, trying to comfort himself in the two ways he knew how. His head was hanging and he tapped the front of his shoe against the other.

"I uh…I don't…um, well…I…" Crona lifted his head so he could look at her, his eyes full of question and anxiety. "…Maka?" It was clear he was waiting for permission on what he was allowed or could say. Questioning it herself, Maka turned to face the group.

Aside from the worried and curious glimpses of Tsubaki, Liz, Black Star, and Patty, Soul held a supportive smile, his head moving in the faintest of nods in encouragement. Even Kid's gaze didn't spark with judgment, only of wonder and warmth .With those two positive responses under her belt and with Crona by her side, she felt a rise in confidence in her.

These were her friends, her partners in defeating the Kishin. She could trust them with no doubt.

Maka inhaled to brace herself and gave the group a small smile. She looked toward Crona and arched her feet up on her tip-toes and whispered into his ear, "I guess it's better now than never, don't you think?"

An audibly loud gulp launched down Crona's throat. A second passed before he gave a small nod in agreement. Maka retracted back down to the ground and laced her fingers through her partner's, her head resting on his shoulder. She felt her head rise slowly with Crona's trembling chest as he inhaled a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Maka, Crona," Tsubaki started, visibly worried. "Please tell us what's wrong."

Maka gave the terrified Crona's hand a reassuring squeeze. She matched her calmer wavelength through his shivering one to assist in easing his grief, letting it wrap around his in a comforting blanket of tranquility. Slowly, he began to relax and began to speak.

"Maka and I…"Crona began, his fingers fumbling in Maka's hand, his eyes directed toward the checkered blanket.

"Banged?" Black Star asked bluntly, his trademark thumbs-up getting prepared to launch upwards from his fist in the air.

The back of the Star Clan member's head was met with Tsubaki's reprimanding fist, leaving the ninja meister to grasp his head in his hands, griping and groaning in pain.

Maka's eyebrow twitched and Crona's blush extended to every visible inch of his face, consuming it in a sea of dusky scarlet. She brushed off Black Star's idiocy and nestled her head further into Crona's shoulder, wrapping her free arm around his skinny bicep. After a few more moments, he finally gathered the strength to square his shoulders and look his friends in the eye.

"Maka and I…a-are." Crona said, his face consumed in bright red. He swallowed the visible lump in his throat and tightened his hold on Maka. "W-We're expecting."

Soul's encouraging smile grew wider as the swordsman finally said it aloud, his sharp teeth visible in-between his stretching grin. He gave them a small nod of congrats and looked toward his group members.

Everyone's eyes seemed to widen in shock, their mouths slightly agape and bodies frozen in place at the news. Maka felt the tension in Crona's body as his nerves slowly began to pry their way back into his mind, causing his body to shiver and shake in self-consciousness. Maka tightened her grasp on the fretful father-to-be and rubbed her thumb back and forth over his knuckles from their joined hands in reassurance.

Without warning, the young swordsman suddenly lurched forward, a loud slap clapping against his back and the sound echoing across the forest. He let out a startled cry of alarm as the hard hand met his trembling spine and pushed him out of Maka's grip. A whimper escaped him as a muscular arm with a star tattoo on a brawny deltoid came around his throat in a choke–hold; thick and bony knuckles contacted the top of his skull to initiate a noogie.

"Holy_ HELL _son!" Black Star roared loudly with laughter. His knuckles rubbed roughly against Crona's pink locks, the friction and force put upon his skull so forcefully one would think his head may catch fire. "That is some _NICE_ work! I knew she was the type to be tough to get in the sack, but _man!_ You sure don't waste time, do you?!"

Maka's face flooded a deep red while Crona's turned dark purple in a mixture of embarrassment and lack of oxygen. He fought weakly against Black Star's tight grasp, tugging at his arm with his shaking hands, squirming in the hold in a possible attempt to flee and hide from the terrifyingly uncomfortable situation. Black Star halted his noogie and bent down his head to meet his eyes with the pink haired boy's, his green eyes full of devilish glee and content.

"So I wasn't far away from what I said earlier, huh?" He smirked in self-satisfaction. He shot up a thumbs-up and shiny stars sparkled around him as his devil grin grew wider. "Told you the magic water help-"

A torrent of blood spurted into the air as the spine of a book ferociously made contact with the middle of the ninja meister's face, nearly crushing his nose. His grip loosened around Crona and his body was sent soaring into the nearest tree. His head rolled around in circles and blood caked his face as planets whirled around his head from his impact.

"You insensitive_ idiot_."Maka growled in a low tone. "You should know better than to bully Crona like that!"

"Bully him? I'm complimenting him!" Black Star said, wiping the blood off his face." I mean to be able to get _you_ to lie on your back willingly is pretty damn impressi-"

Another whack from her thick book plunged into Black Star's skull, thrusting him into the ground below with a loud thud. His leg twitched and a lump rose from the bloodied wound as Maka stood over him, fuming with rage.

"You…_dick_."Maka hissed between clenched teeth. She shook her head and angrily turned her back to the ninja meister, her eyes searching for a pink-haired boy who abandoned the scene.

Underneath the darkest portion of shade a tree could offer, her scan spotted a familiar set of black shoes clacking together in shivers, a black mass of a body huddled tightly into a ball as it rocked itself back and forth. Ragnorak made yet another appearance, his small form laid over Crona's head, his small fist banging against it as he laughed hysterically.

"_Told you the magic water helps_!" Ragnorak mimicked in a shrill overdramatic voice. "_Hahahahahaha_! I swear, since you and the blonde bitch do your lovey-dovey foo-foo crap all day it's shit like _this _that is the highlight of my day!" Ragnorak sat up and took a hold of Crona's cheeks, stretching them outwards and howling with laughter, small tears of amusement in the corner of his eerie white eyes. "You really thought the booze was _magic_?!And here I thought you were just naive! You stupid _idiot hahahahaha_!"

Little did Ragnorak know, a seething storm churned with anger upon the sight of the miniature demon's teasing. Maka heard Soul swallow in fear and picked himself up to back away from the impending hurricane of destruction, the other members of their troupe following in suit. Maka's face was lathered in darkness with a vindictive fire surrounding her as she approached the obnoxious demon. She allowed her foot to slam against the carpet of grass to get the Demon sword's attention, her eyes in blazing infernos and her fists clenching in anger as the demon turned to meet her gaze.

"What's wrong with you, she-pig?" Ragnorak challenged. "Your pregger hormones getting the best of you? Oh wait, _I know_ the cure for that!" Ragnorak grabbed Crona's head and jerked his head in Maka's direction, shaking him like he was dangling a toy in front of a dog. "Why don't you just rape the kid again! That seems to curb your in-heat cow hormones!"

The darkness upon Maka loomed further and her resonance team cowered behind tree trunks. Crona's grey, panicked eyes shook in fear and apprehension with his teeth chattering as she moved closer.

"That's _it_ you little _prick_!"Maka shouted. Her hands shot forward, tightly grabbing the small neck of Ragnorak and shaking his shrieking head back and forth. "You heartless little _parasite_, I swear one of these days I'm going to _end_ you!"

"What the hell?! Hey! Knock it off you fat-!"

She whacked the side of Ragnorak's head with her blood stained book, slamming him against the tree trunk. His eyes spun in circles as she brought her book down again on his head, making him slam down onto Crona's head.

"You _bitch_!" Ragnorak wailed rubbing his charcoal colored head, tiny tears of pain in his eyes. "You really can't take a tease, can you? " The demon lifted himself with his hands and grabbed Crona's hair to pull him up to face him. "Way to choose your women, Crona, because now we're stuck with _her_ for the rest of our lives!"

He smacked the top of Crona's head and gave Maka a death glare before fleeing into his meister's spine, muttering curses under his breath.

Maka's eyebrow twitched and her teeth ground together. Only the uncaring concoction of evil and blood could help send a pleasant day like this into a swirling ball of chaos. Her unstable hormones and anger boiled together dangerously as she continued to loathe the demon dwelling within her partner.

In her bubbling rage, she felt a familiar set of soft hands grasp hers, holding them gently. Feeling the clouds of anger in her mind dissipate at the touch, she looked down to see a worried and marginally frightened Crona staring at her, his now dark puppy-eyes mutely pleading.

"Maka, p-please don't be angry."He said quietly. He followed Kid's example, and eyed her stomach before moving back up to hers. "I-It's not..It's not-"

Maka quickly placed a finger on his lips. She closed her eyes and breathed out a long gust of exasperation. She'd deal with the demon pest later, now wasn't the time. She gave Crona a small smile and returned his hold of her hands. "I know. I'm sorry if I scared you." She crouched down next to his huddled form and let her hand rub the back of his shoulder. "But can I ask a favor of you?

"Of course."

She smiled gently at him and said, "Can you please come out of hiding?"

Crona struggled to answer, his eyes leaving hers to glance into the field where their group resided. She looked with him.

They had emerged from their hiding places behind the trees, their once shocked expressions now replaced with warm smiles. No one held a look of repulsion, no one even shown a glimpse of judgment toward the couple. Their smiles were as welcoming and bright as the first time the sword meister attended Kid's party nearly two years ago.

He looked back toward Maka and softly nodded. He allowed her to help him stand and both of them walked toward the blanket of food. When they arrived, a bubbly Patty zipped in front of Maka and grabbed her shoulders.

"Is it true, Maka?" Patty asked, her smile bright and body jumping up and down in excitement. "Are you and Crona really having a baby?"

Maka stared in astonishment as Patty stared back with intense enthusiasm, her blue eyes shining brightly. She couldn't help but smile with the animated weapon and give a small nod, her free hand returning to merge with Crona's.

"Yes, we are."

Patty clapped her hands together and squealed loudly with glee. She grabbed the surprised couple into a crushing hug and let out her cheery laugh.

"I'm so _happyyyy for youuuu_!"Patty sang. She released them and squeezed Maka's hands, her body still bouncing. "This is going to be so much fun! We can get it a bunch of stuffed animals and a crib and toys and clothes and-"Patty then made another outrageous squeal of happiness, startling Maka and Crona. "We can also dress it up! Pink little bows and dresses for a girl and cute little suits and ties for a boy and-"

"Okay Patty, I think you've scared the parents-to-be enough." Her elder sister intervened.

"Huh~?" Patty pouted. "But this is an exciting moment!"

Liz exhaled. "Yes it is, but let's take the baby things a step at a time with them. They're still new to the news too."

Patty kept her pout as she took her bright eyes away from her sister to look at Maka.

Maka kept her gaze toward the picnic blanket, her face in a heavy blush. Crona mimicked her, his face now cheery red as he stared at the seemingly comforting tree nearby to cower behind. It was noticeable he attempted to tug away, but he remained where he was only from Maka's tightening hold.

Liz tried to smile as gently as she could to the meisters, giving them a quick wink. "But if you do need help with shopping, you know who to call. No one can beat my expertise. In fact, I should make my own business card for how good I am. Start charging for my services."

"Yeah!" Patty agreed, shooting a fist into the air. "Just let us know!"

Maka smiled and nodded as she kneeled onto the checkered picnic blanket with Crona following next to her. Tsubaki sat across from them giving the couple her kindest smile. She lifted up two of the bento boxes she prepared to her and Crona; Maka's noticed that hers contained more meats than the other.

"Here you go." Tsubaki smiled. "You've got to keep your strength up. You can take Black Star's extra servings. You need it more."

"_What_?!"Black Star shouted, standing up angrily from his spot on the damaged tree. "Hey, hold on. Why is _my_ food being donated to Maka? If you want to share then why don't you share your own?!"

"Because you always have more than enough food to spare, and _you_ aren't caring for a body of two." Tsubaki let her bright smile illuminate her face again. "Right, Maka?"

The blush remained on Maka's cheeks and gave a nod in reply.

"If you need any help with cooking I can help too." Tsubaki offered happily. "I don't mind cooking at all. After all, you could use a little help."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Soul asked, raising an eyebrow. "You saying my cooking for them is crummy?"

"What-o-of course not! I'm just-"

"Your curry tastes like the behind of a crusty elephant." Black Star said candidly. He gave Soul a slap on the back as he sat next to him. "But it's okay! You don't have to be the Almighty Black Star's cook, just one of my loyal servants."

Soul bonked the prominent bump on Black Star's head, causing him to hiss in pain. "Not even in your dreams, Black Star."

As Black Star and Soul continued to argue, Kid sat next to Maka. His yellow Shinigami eyes glanced at the expecting couple and gave his warmest smile.

"If you two should need any help financially, I don't mind lending a helping hand either." Kid said. "Money is not an issue." He placed a saluted hand over his heart and gave a gentlemanly bow. "It would be an honor to assist the defeater of the Kishin during her pregnancy."

Maka spotted Crona blush heavily, nervously squirming as someone finally said the word aloud. He gripped his arm sheepishly and stared at the bento box sitting on the floor, his free hand fumbling with the soft blanket. She leaned her shoulder against Crona's and smiled at Kid.

"Thank you."Maka beamed. She looked toward everyone else who smiled back at her. "Thank all of you guys. I can't tell you how much it means to us."

Crona lifted his head, his previous abashed feelings beginning to fade slowly. He gave a tiny nod and let a tentative smile grow."I-It does mean a lot…t-thank you."

"But don't come to me when there are diapers to be changed." Soul said with a sharp grin. "I'm not touching those fudge stains with a ten foot pole."

"No kidding, you'd run for the hills when you'd get the chance." Liz huffed and gave him what looked like an annoyed glare. "Like you do with everything."

"_Soooo_ not cool. What did I do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? Black Star replied eating a piece of grilled meat with his bare hands. "She's probably mad you don't have that ten foot pole. You're not a God like me, Soul. You boast yourself way too much."

"_I _boast too much?!"Soul snapped. "Who are you to talk to me like that you narcissistic _fool_?! And how would you know if I don't-?!"

"Alright, alright that's enough." Kid said, closing his eyes. "Can we move past this immature topic and just enjoy the food Tsubaki prepared?"

Black Star and Soul grumbled to each other as Kid lifted a bento box to his lap. He smiled at the ninja weapon and took a rice ball in hand. "Thank you Tsubaki, it smells lovely. This looks like it's-"

The Reaper paused as he stared at the rice ball he picked up, his eyes steadily turning into panicked pinpoints upon the sight. Maka exhaled loudly as she noticed his face twitch.

"_An unacceptable travesty_!" Kid shrieked, grabbing his hair in horror. He frantically plucked off sesame seeds one by one as beads of sweat slid down his face, his eyes spinning and Sanzu lines wavy from distress. "Uneven, asymmetrical _sesame seeds_. Just look! This one is broken off, this is black while the other is brown, these ones are large or small, and the _number_. What kind of monster puts thirty seven seeds on a rice ball? It should be eight! Or at least all aligned in neat order and even numbered with the same color! How could you do something so foolish?!"

Kid continued his neurotic rant to a sighing Tsubaki with Black Star and Soul resuming their previous conversation with punches. All that remained was a stunned Maka and Crona, a laughing Patty, and an unamused Liz examining her nails.

Maka couldn't help but smile widely at the foolish resonance crew she loved so dearly. She missed all of their humorous antics and behaviors. And even through this life changing event at her young age, they were still supportive as ever, going as far as to kindly give their own assistance. It made her heart feel giddy and warm, the organ beating the bubbly sensation through her body. She looked over to Crona, hoping he'd feel the same.

The timid smile still graced his face, his hand softly massaging hers, but for some reason his eyes didn't hold their happy shine which always paired with his smile. They seemed dulled somehow.

He looked over at her, noticing her stare. He continued the small smile.

"Are you okay?"She asked.

"I'm fine, just taking it in."

Maka gave him an uncertain look. She quickly kissed his cheek and leaned her head on his shoulder, his cheek responding by resting it on top of her scalp. The group continued their idiotic or civil conversations while dining on their boxes of food, Liz and Kid eating with a sense of sophistication while Black Star, Patty, and Soul shoved and wolfed the contents down their throats, demanding for seconds once all was consumed. Even Ragnorak emerged again, demanding food which Tsubaki happily supplied. Maka was too lost in her joy towards her friends to reprimand the demon for his behavior earlier and settled for enjoying her lunch.

She munched happily, nuzzling her head farther into Crona's shoulder. She looked up and smiled up at him, his own returned smile shy and his eyes still dim. She held him closer, trying to ease the trembling still remaining in his limbs from their unveiling.

This was frightening, but with the help of their friends and from each other they would get through this. No matter what.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed and that you'll drop a review c: I had a lot of fun typing this chapter haha. ****See you all in a bit!**

**P.S This is just a little suggestion if some of you are looking for a happy song to uplift you: I couldn't stop smiling when typing and listening to "The Knocks-Magic(Viceroy Remix)" It's just...it's so darn happyyy aghhhhhhhhhhhh. To be honest, it's one of the songs that helped give me ideas for future chapters(x**

**I know, useless author's note and gibberish. But I just wanted to tell those in search of a happy song that this one may help you add to your stocks.(: And if not, then that's okay~**


	7. Guts

**Been awhile, hasn't it? Ha...my bad. Although, completing"Liquid Courage"and this long chapter did take me quite a bit of time, so hopefully it will make up for the wait. And before one should venture to that story, if interested, I should give a proper warning that the fanfiction is rated M for a reason. Those types of scenes won't be in this story, which is why they are separate fanfics.**

**Anyways, hope this long chapter makes up for the delay. Thank you for waiting!**

* * *

Soul had to admit, he liked the many perks of being a Death Scythe: the excuses to bail from class early, the generous income, the fame everywhere he went, the free drinks at some of the places he and Black Star went too; he even enjoyed the attention of the crooning girls running after him around the academy. The experience made him feel like one of the coolest and most popular kings alive, able to do anything and everything he wanted wherever he went. But even though every king had endless luxuries, excessive fame, and certain freedoms, there were always the lame responsibilities and duties that came with it.

On the day before Maka was to return to school, Stein called his portable Death Scythe mirror, informing him Lord Death wanted to speak to him in the Death Room. It irritated him enough that he had to carry the miniature skull mirror twenty-four-seven and have them disturb him during his lounging hours. Now they had picked a day where he could finally sit at home and relax without having a rambunctious Black Star hound him to do something he thought as glorious and conceived from a godly mind, but was actually just amazingly stupid. Now and again it was fun, he had to admit, but the amount of times per day the moron wanted to do it drained him and couldn't make him care any less than he already did. Just so figures that the moment he has the chance to finally lounge in peace, it's immediately snatched from him.

He sighed in carefully controlled annoyance as he zipped up his jacket, protecting him from the chilling air of the evening. He almost never felt this way, but he actually envied Spirit for being away on a mission. As a Death Scythe in the field, you're free of random summons or calls from late at night or early in the morning as they simply wait for your report; the spotting of you in a city often got you instant fame and sometimes free luxuries from vendors or passerbys. Plus, you didn't have to endure the graveyard shift hours of standing by Lord Death, like he had to due to Spirit's absence. It's not that hanging out with the God of Death isn't cool, it was just…you get over the cool feeling quickly. Aside from talking and soon running out of topics to discuss, there's not much else to do in the Death Room except stand there awkwardly and hope his Shinigami mirror was also a T.V. It seemed the only good part about leaving to talk to Lord Death on a Sunday afternoon was he wouldn't travel the boring route to the academy alone, Maka and Crona volunteered their company on him.

Soul then paused and thought about that again for a moment…

Looking back at it, it was more like Maka had pushed her and Crona onto him when he voiced where he was going, whether he liked her decision or not. Even with him now being a powerful Demon Weapon, she never yielded from voicing her discomfort or scorn towards him on traveling alone near night fall, as if she was some overbearing and suffocating mother who wanted to engulf his entire body in protective padding to prevent him from getting "owies" from the big bad ruffians in the city. So to prevent her absurd "women's intuition" scenario she so often suggested would happen, she brought herself and Crona to walk with him.

Although that caring action was passable to Soul, there were certain parts of her that just skyrocketed past the critical red zone on his annoyance meter. Throughout the time he had spent being around Maka, he experienced that she had the tendency to be so much of a pain in the ass that she rivaled the festering torment of a bleeding abscess on the rear; Soul often doing everything he could to ignore or get freaking rid of the damned pain. In the beginning, he learned the hard way that stuffing his pillow over his ears to block out her commands to wake up or throwing it at her like she was the sleep button of an alarm clock never worked. If anything, it just made her angrier and caused his brain cells to deteriorate at a faster rate as his head was cruelly bashed in. Her nagging his ear off on his late mornings or yapping about how he spends his lounging time playing games or watching T.V didn't help either. Instead, it fueled him to disobey her rather than listen, often ignoring her lectures that suggest he use his brain in a better and more educating fashion. But even though her violent antics and hurtful methods of approach could be irritating, he knew it was simply because she cared for his well-being. If she didn't give a crap about him, she wouldn't be as annoying as she was or go as far as to take time out of her preparations to return to school to come with him.

Soul let a corner of his lip rise at the often demanding and aggressive meister beside him. To him, her behaviors appeared to be what he viewed as one of an annoying little sister's. Kind of like the ones that always hounded her cool big brother to play prissy ponies with or dress up her dolls, saying what kind of things you could do if one did things this way or comb their hair or dress them up in another way; that was sort of like what Maka did to him on alternatives to his entertainment or diet. And even though they're annoying and often times ignoring their invites or suggestions would mess with them for wonderful self-entertainment, you hope no one sees you as you try to make your sister happy, just to see her smile as you attempt to play ponies and dolls with her, as you attempt to try reading a book now and again like she suggested.

…He just hoped Black Star wouldn't catch a whiff of him doing that. He'd never hear the end of it.

Upon sighting the anxious Maka hurriedly ascend the steps to the academy with the loyal Crona following, the smile on his lips faltered, his eyes scanning them intently. Despite being appreciative of the concern and the time they took out of their evening for him, he couldn't help but sense some second motive behind this pleasant company.

Once they reached the top of the myriad flights of stairs climbing toward the entrance to Shibusen, the young meisters and weapon entered the academy's empty halls. Soul glanced over at Maka, seeing her softly breathe for air from the upward hike. He wondered, even if her body could handle the strain of traveling up the steps now, how could she cope later? Surely when she reaches the stage of when she looks like a balloon about to pop- or even in months before then- it would grow more difficult to walk, right?

Curiosity clung to him, so he decided to ask, his hands behind his head as they walked, "Are you sure you should still be attending school, Maka? I mean, I'm not saying I doubt your ability and all, but isn't it quite a trip for you and-"

"Don't say it so loudly, Soul." Maka snapped quickly.

"It's Sunday and the hall way is empty…who the hell is going to hear us? And won't they notice eventually?"

"That's just it: eventually. People have eyes and they can observe it for themselves. They don't need me or anyone else telling them something that's my business."

Soul saw the silent Crona's chin sink further into his chest in the corner of his eye, his shoulders hunching in his robe. He had already been brave enough to spill the beans to the entire group, but for him the simple thought of answering curious student's questions on _that_ topic must have been petrifying and faint inducing for him. Soul didn't even know what was left of the poor guy's guts, knowing there was either enough just to tell the people he was comfortable with the news or barely any remaining after the insecurities within him chewed away at his innards.

From what he observed upon Crona's return, he could see the terrifying effect it had on him through his panicked grey-blue eyes. But he was only able to imagine how his soul must have looked on how fearful or worried he felt about the whole baby experience. The inner turbulence and abuse his soul contained was something he simply couldn't fathom and quite frankly, he didn't think he _wanted_ to. All he could do was put on a kind face and attempt to understand and comfort when he could, hoping Maka would help save whatever remained of him.

"Well, it may not be other people's business, but it's mine." Soul continued. "Even you have to admit I'm right on this. How are you going to go to school or continue with missions?"

"Lord Death won't let me go on missions anymore, so I'm going to Professor Stein's office about extra studies."Maka responded.

"But classes and teachers are dismissed on the weekends."

"They are, but he still sticks around to prepare for the classes' specimens for the next day. Why else would everything be so well prepared the day before dissections?"

Soul made a grunt of agreement, seeing her point. A small smirk of smug knowing began to creep across his lips. "So, is Miss Perfect Maka actually resorting to lying now? That's all you had to say instead of lying about coming along just to keep me company."

"You _do_ need company, especially since its growing dark. But it just so happens that this was also the best chance to talk with the Professor without anyone nosy barging in. So I took it."She softly wrinkled her nose and made what looked like a discontent expression, one she made that made his grin stretch higher; it was a face she made when she knew he was right. "But you do have a point. I can still handle the trip, but I only have an idea of how much longer I can continue to walk here. I have a rough idea but I'm worried that time frame will cause me to fall behind on my studies. So I want to talk with Professor Stein on what I can do."

"And if you can't come to school at all?" He questioned calmly.

Her nose twitched again and she sighed. "If it comes down to that…I guess I'll have to stay home. But I still want to talk to Professor Stein about my options before _that_ happens."

Soul sharply exhaled in disbelief. "Seriously? You're that determined to keep up with your studies while-"

Maka shot him a death glare, signaling him to shut up or be Maka Chopped so hard the impact will soar his lifeless body out of the school. He shook his head. "Man, you've got some unbelievable determination. Had I been given the chance to quit school for awhile, I'd pick up my game controller and get ready for some nice ass-to-cushion time."

"I know you would." Maka huffed, rolling her eyes.

Soul gave Crona a playful nudge with his elbow, his hands moving into his jacket's pockets. "You've got one crazy chick on your hands, you know that?"

Crona didn't respond, his head still hanging low. Soul furrowed his brows from the lack of a response. "Crona?"

"H-Huh?" He replied softly, snapping out of his daze. "What?"

"Crona, are you alright?" Maka asked, her tone sounding concerned. "You've been awfully quiet the entire way here."

"I-I'm fine." Crona replied, gripping his arm and keeping his gaze to the floor. "I just remembered I have to go to t-the library and check something out for the essay Kid talked about. Stein called me about it e-earlier this week but I uh…" He averted his eyes to the wall to elude them both and hunched his shoulders more. "I didn't e-exactly get to start it…with everything going on."

"Oh."Maka spoke quietly, her tone soft. "I see."

Soul couldn't stop himself from making an irritated frown. He hated hearing that tone from her. That damned tone was one she made when she thought she was burdening another, her body language following as she made that solemn face of carefully concealed pain while Crona wasn't looking. Jeez, this was awkward. Not even cool in the slightest. It was going to get even _more_ uncool as he guessed what she was going to do next, something he would bet everything he owned and his personal savings on.

"Well…I guess I'll leave you to go and get your homework done. I've been taking away a lot of your time from what was supposed to be your week of resting." Yup, typical Maka. All of his belongings and savings would have been returned to him had he actually bet on her fleeing the scene to rid the person of her seemingly burdening presence. "Stein's office is upstairs and I shouldn't be too long. I'll meet you at the library, okay?"

Crona gave a weak nod and Soul watched carefully at the both of them, seeing Maka strain a smile. She walked over and hugged the rigid Crona. He let out a small sound of surprise from her sudden action but slowly relaxed against her and returned her embrace.

"I'll catch up with you later."Soul heard her muffled voice say.

"Okay."

Maka placed her hands on Crona's face and brought it down to place her lips on his for a soft kiss, his blush brightening as Soul exhaled in amusement and wriggled a teasing brow towards him. Her thumb rubbed his cheek as she retracted her lips from his. Her smile seemed to be one of assurance as she turned her back to them and headed to the teacher's offices on the second floor.

Crona stood there baffled, blushing, and digging his fingers into his right arm as Soul stood in front of him. Both watched as Maka went up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, Soul turned to the sword meister with a corner smirk on his face.

"Homework always does just get in the way, doesn't it?"

Crona kept his gaze averted, probably still unused to talking to him alone. If that was the case, Soul inwardly agreed. He wasn't exactly comfortable either, but it was worth a shot.

Soul kept his gaze on Crona and scratched his chin in thought. "Now that I think about it, I haven't started my essay either. I've had my own stuff to do too. Still, I guess it wouldn't look so cool for a Death Scythe to get bad marks in science class, wouldn't it?"

"I-I guess so."

"But his classes always seem so damn similar, I can't even tell the difference or remember the due dates of all the papers Stein assigns. Did he say it was for the human and animal soul differentiation essay? Or was it just another boring write-up on the dissection analysis?"

Crona had to think about that for a moment. "I-I believe it was the differentiation essay."

Soul nodded again. "Great. Is that the one that's due tomorrow? Because if it is, I think it's safe to say that I'm up shit creek."

"That's why I have to finish it today…"Crona murmured.

"Well, I'm screwed."

An inaudible mumble left Crona and silence overcame them. They stood in the halls for a few moments, neither speaking or moving. Crona squirmed in his spot and Soul kept his face aimed toward the floor, mentally forming a conclusion. It was much harder than he thought when it came to trying to hide or keep down his advancing sharp grin in pride of his performance. He suspected it upon his explanation and stance, but Soul's prodding proved this kid was no master, probably didn't even have any experience. It was pretty funny to watch actually.

He looked up at Crona, his smirk rising. "Alright Crona, fess up. Where are you really going?"

Crona flinched, his already rigid body becoming more tense. The clenching upon his right arm was tighter but he still managed to make his trembling features form a painfully fake face of confusion towards Soul's question.

Totally no experience at all.

"W-What do you mean?"He quickly stammered. "I-I just said have to rent a book at the library for the essay."

Soul's eyelids dropped halfway in an unamused fashion, his smirk still on his face. "If Stein actually called you, you'd know that you don't need to rent a book from the library for research, you just read the textbook. Plus, those two papers I asked you about are bogus essays I just made up. Stein's assignment that is due on _Wednesday_ is on specialized souls. Long story short, I caught you in a lie kiddo. And not a very good one either."

Crona winced and put his head down, possibly unsure of what to say.

Soul chucked to himself. "Man, you're lucky Maka didn't ask you the name of the essay, or she would have never left you alone. I may not do my homework often, but I do enough so she'll stay off my back. She'd hand my ass right back to me if I didn't do one of Stein's essays again." His grin arched further, rising a hand from his pants to tap the front pocket of his jacket. "In fact, you just reminded me I have to pay Akane for letting me use his essay outline. He may be smart, but he's an expensive bastard when it comes to help. But if you're actually concerned about completing your essay, I can have him cook something up for you…that might cost a pretty penny."

Crona kept silent upon Soul's offer and his brows slowly collected together as his silence furthered. Realization dawned on him and he breathed out a gust of mild irritation.

Crap, his involuntary teasing probably struck one of the many insecure nerves inside him. He cleared his throat, remembering Crona's high sensitivity and attempted to take a calmer and less taunting approach.

"Look, I know things have been rough, but you don't have to lie to me man. The type of thing you're going through is scary and I'm not going to judge you for being scared." He tried to give him one of those soft reprimanding smiles Maka gave him, an expression not even his facial muscles were used to making. It was probably for the best that Crona didn't lift his head to see his attempt at comfort. "But remember, I'm an expert in the art of lying, so you can't fool me. And let this expert tell you, your stance and tone of voice are allll wrong. Your silence the entire trip and eyes moving around are just another huge giveaway. If you want to make it more believable next time, always keep your eyes on the person and try not to rock your body too much."

Crona's silence continued as they stood in the hallway, keeping his head down towards the floor, as if he was a sad child accepting his punishment for his wrongdoing. That was probably all he knew how to do when being reprimanded, no matter how light Soul or anyone else approached it.

"I'm sorry…"Crona muttered, his voice painfully quiet. He held himself with his arms and trembled. "I-I…with all that's been going on…I just…"

Soul waited, knowing if he made one of his sarcastic comments again, Crona would cease his explanation. He watched as his large and uniquely bluish-black eyes drifted along the corridor, almost as if in longing to a familiar pathway stretched out before them. Soul's brows knitted together in confusion, wondering how this kid thought he could go to the Death Room and talk to Lord Death without him figuring it out or seeing him. Did he just not hear him when he said the purpose for coming here? Or was as zoned out as he looked to even process it properly?

Soul opened his mouth to voice that confusion, but upon seeing the fragile and nervous boy grow with tension before him, he closed his sardonic trap. He didn't trust himself in holding back his abrasive remarks once his question was voiced. So he came up with another tactic of approach.

"For future reference, if you want to see Lord Death just ask your friendly neighborhood Death Scythe: me." Soul offered confidently. "I'll make sure you're first in line to see him. Got it?"

Crona hesitated but gave a small nod in reply. His gaze darted back and forth to avoid meeting Soul's. "Yes… I-I'm sorry I lied."

"Don't sweat it. Cool guys like me don't get angry over something as small as a little lie. I'm not the one who's going to throw a book at you if you do."

A small tint of red came across Crona's cheeks as his head bobbed up and down in understanding.

Soul aimed his body toward the Death Room's walkway and smirked to his timid friend. "Cool, so let's go. We're both heading in the same direction, so might as well go together. You ready?"

Again, he hesitated. Like it was most of the time, his tentativeness was because of the deep-rooted reluctant tendencies within him. But Soul suspected that by being caught red-handed in his attempt at deceit, he saw that there was no way Soul was going to leave him alone like he wanted to be.

And if he thought that, then he was right.

"Y-Yes."Crona finally answered.

Soul nodded and both began walking through the brightened tiled halls of Shibusen in discomforting silence. As they ventured forward, Soul flickered his eyes back and forth from the front of them to Crona, pondering what to say or what he was even allowed to say to this damaged kid.

Even if he managed to hide it well to avoid angering his meister, he often found it annoying and tedious on how Maka or Stein told him to treat Crona with gentle care in conversation or manners. It was almost as if he was some helpless and delicate flower you had to nurture twenty-four-seven and tiptoe around on certain subjects so one wouldn't accidently squash his feelings. Soul's careful managing of his topics or biting back of venomous remarks made him feel like the partner of an over-obsessing florist rather than his meister, a person who went to such overzealous lengths for that flower: measuring to the millimeter how little or how much more water or soil of life and care that flower needed during what times of day, when it needed to be put into sunlight for encouraging growth or their lanky presence adjusted so it would more presentable to the public. Cripes, all that attention acknowledging and over-pampering to someone who was supposed to be a _man_ was just so _fucking_…

Soul closed his eyes quickly and inhaled deeply to regain mental composure. His impatient nature was getting to him again. He had to block it out and calm down.

Yes, it was difficult to be so careful on certain things with him. But he had to remind himself every time he grew agitated that out of everyone he knew, Crona needed understanding and care the most. Not only did he suffer through a torturous hell with a malevolent and manipulative witch, but he proved to be an excellent ally when he ventured to kill his cunning mother, when he took a devastating blow for his meister when things took a turn for the worst. That one act of valor was enough reason for Soul to obey Maka and Stein's request with no objections.

But his most important reason for dealing with such boundaries was because Maka loved Crona, she was happier than she's ever been with him. And it was so obvious that even a blind person could tell Crona loved her in return; you could tell by spotting the disappearance of his stutter and change of voice towards her, a voice that held traces of admiration he felt only towards her.

So for her sake, he attempted to pursue in conversing with the devoted partner to his meister.

"Soooo," Soul began, trying to initiate a conversation. He couldn't really think of anything else, but any topic was better than enduring this awkward silence. "I don't think I told you how awesome it was for you to tell the group the news. That was pretty brave of you. You seemed shaky at first, but after this past week, you seem to be doing pretty well with it all."

Crona's body appeared to tense further, the long strands of hair on the back of his head shaking with his body. Soul's discomfort soared higher.

Great, first conversation starter and he's already shaking with nerves. Real nice move, Soul.

"Look, I didn't mean to butt in. I was just saying is all."

"N-No, it's okay." Crona replied in a small voice. "You're just saying. I mean, y-you were there after all. If anything, you were calmer than I was when you found out." He clenched his arm tighter. "And…you comforted her…when I wasn't there."

Soul winced. Honestly, it had been a complete accident he came across Maka that night. She was alone when Lord Death told her the news after reporting the success of their mission; he had to make up a test that was held on a day he skipped class while she did so. The only reason why he even came home that night was to find the stash of booze he secretly bought from New York to share with Black Star. Curiosity sparked in him when he heard the quietly controlled and rare sound of whimpers coming from the bathroom. She didn't expect to see him home early when he opened the bathroom door and he didn't expect to see her holding a pregnancy wand that confirmed her fears.

It was all just pure chance. He was no guardian angel weapon partner like Crona made him out to be.

"Look, don't beat yourself up about that entire situation." Soul remarked, scratching the back of his head. "What's important is you came back and took care of her when she needed you. I bet you even let her vent a little and I know that's something she doesn't do with everyone. You're special after all."

"...I-I guess." Crona mumbled, lowering his head.

And just like that, the conversation was over. Crona had retracted back into his turtle shell, not saying more. Soul sighed in resignation.

As Soul and Crona continued to walk through the corridor, they finally reached a familiar tall archway with a large white skull embellished in the center, a slim red outline with spikes protruding from the top of what looked like a thin glass door.

Soul continued to look at the entry to the Death Room and glanced over at Crona. "So, you ready?"

Crona's nervousness appeared more pronounced as Soul confirmed he would enter with him, making him lightly squint his eyes in analytical curiosity towards the meister. He fidgeted in his stance and made an audible gulp. How this kid thought he'd get alone time with Lord Death when he was his personal weapon was beyond him. Especially since he made it clear when he left that Lord Death wanted to see him _right now_. If he thought he could just wait in the library until their meeting was done, he didn't think very far ahead. Crona was stuck with him if he attempted to wait or fessed up in the beginning, as his shift beside Lord Death would start soon.

Soul shook his head to rattle his growing snide thoughts to the edges of his brain and attempted to comfort Crona. He tentatively lifted his hand and lightly slapped it against Crona's deltoid in encouragement, making him jerk more violently than a normal person should from the contact.

"Come on man, you've proven to have plenty of guts to spill the beans about your kid."Soul encouraged. "I'm sure there's nothing else that can compare to that anxiety. If you can handle telling all of us, you can handle little old me and Lord Death in there."

It was strained, but a small shy smile curved the side Crona's lips from the compliment of his supposed bravery. But his response was still withdrawn.

Soul continued to wait until Crona had completed the breathing exercises Maka taught him to help calm down. Soon after, he nodded, giving the okay for entry. Soul responded and lifted a fist to bang it repeatedly against the door, asking for entrance into Death's residence.

A massive creak filled the hall as the large dimensional door opened, allowing entry into the Death Room. Soul placed a steady hand on the shivering Crona and encouraged him forward through the opening. The sword meister exhaled whatever was built in his chest and lifted his hunched back in an attempt to make himself seem more confident. To Soul's surprise, it appeared to work.

Well, as long as you didn't look at his shaking legs wobbling on the floor, _then_ it would have worked.

The guillotine-style Tori gates dauntingly loomed above the pair as they walked through the passageway leading to the raised obsidian platform in the desert room's center. Seeing the speed of his walk begin to falter, Soul encouraged Crona again with another light slap to his shoulder blade, causing him to flinch but resume his previous speed. They pursued forward towards the small stairs where a sitting Lord Death resided.

"Hiya!" The God of Death greeted. He kneeled in his spiked black robes on a pillow next to a low wooden table. A tea cup decorated with a small version of his skull mask was held in his enormous hand. "Good to see ya! Oh this is wonderful, and just when I needed some more company for my evening tea!"

The Grim Reaper waved them on and placed two more cups on the skull-shaped table top to fill it with heated green tea. "Well, come on over! I'm not going to bite."

Soul strayed from Crona's side and sat Indian style on one end of the table. He looked up at Crona and motioned him forward with a movement of his head towards the gathering.

At first Crona struggled, swiping his feet against the floor and gripping his arm, tentative to Soul's and Lord Death's invitation. But both the Shinigami and Death Scythe knew to wait and let Crona come on his own accord. Slowly, the sword meister began to move forward and sat on his legs before the table, placing his hands on the tops of his robe covered thighs.

"This is delightful!" Lord Death cheered. "Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful having Soul Eater here, but new company is always a pleasure!"

Crona responded with a timid smile and Soul took a sip from his tea cup, hungrily shooting out a hand toward the dumplings on the table.

"So, what can I do for you boys?" Lord Death asked.

Seeing Crona stiffen and struggle on answering Lord Death's question, Soul took the stage first.

"Stein called me and said you wanted to talk to me." Soul answered, wiping his face of dumpling crumbs. "So, here I am."His eyebrows and lids lowered half-way to show his annoyance. "On a Sunday afternoon."

"Now now, you knew what this job would entail when you strived to achieve it."The Shinigami defended. "Being a Death Scythe doesn't mean getting free rides on your homework and lessons or parading around town freely while school is in session. It's a serious job with many responsibilities and requires an education to fully understand."

"Alright alright I got it." Soul exhaled, attempting to stop another boring lecture from coming at him today. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Ah, yes." The Shinigami remembered. He placed his tea cup on the table and turned to Soul. "It looks like you'll finally be getting some expertise in the field as an honorary Death Scythe, Soul. Marie will temporarily fill your position at my side during your absence. I want you to investigate the murders of what authorities have reported as the work from a serial killer duo roaming around the western coast. Their infamous reputation has been growing steadily as well as the names on their victim's list. With the information from authorities and our own people, we have found that their last sighting and recent activity is within the Southern California regions. I'm sure from this point in the conversation, you can tell me what you have to do."The God paused as Soul continued to gaze at him with his bored expression, not bothering to say a word. "But I suppose by the disinterested look you're giving me, I'm guessing you think I should assign this mission to someone else, no? That this mission isn't Death Scythe material?"

_Really? What gave me away?_ Soul thought sarcastically.

"Standard procedure: hunt down murderers in threat of becoming a Kishin, take their souls, create a Death Scythe, keep world peace, yadda yadda yadda." Soul replied in a disinterested matter-of-fact tone. "I get I need more experience as one, but why can't you assign this mission to another student who actually needs the souls? I'm _already_ a Death Scythe and I don't need to be put on baby missions. I should get the ones with more action."

"I understand but this mission is perfect for a beginner Death Scythe. Everyone needs a simple mission before they take on the bigger ones." The Reaper paused again. "Plus, with the odd reports we've been receiving lately, I've become picky with who we send out into the field. I'd much rather send our more experienced fighters and not add more one-star meister names to the school memorial. That has already happened once with Crona's previous target, and I'd much rather it not happen again."

Soul's eyes narrowed and Crona sounded to have stopped breathing, the trembling in his rigid body returning to him. He had seen enough empty patches in classes besides Crescent Moon to know something was moving out there, something that had sparked the attention of the Shinigami enough to dispatch a three-star meister teacher and two of his own Death Scythes to investigate. He thought the ashen faces of meisters who lost weapons or vice versa was enough proof of the dangers lurking beyond the city limits, but Lord Death's confirmation made it that much more real.

"So as a result of Spirit on duty in South America, I'd like to dispatch a talented Death Scythe as yourself into the hunt."Lord Death continued. "It has been sometime since they have been last spotted and their recent activity has dwindled in the past week, but that doesn't mean they aren't still out there. I hope you can find them and help give us some answers. Get them to talk if you can, but if it's too much of a hassle, take them out."Lord Death sunk a large hand into his robes and pulled out a large manila envelope, handing it over to Soul. "Everything you need to know about the pair is in here. I'll assign a transport to pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Soul grinned sharply. "I've got my bike. I don't need someone chaperoning me around."

The Shinigami made a tune of interested thought. "Are you sure? I didn't even know there was enough room for two people on your bike. Do you and your passenger fit comfortably?"

An expression of confusion came into Soul's features, blinking multiple times as he stared at his alternative meister. _Two people_?

Lord Death's torso seemed to bounce in amusement. "You don't think I'm just going to assign you such a mission without help, do you? Of course not! You may be a powerful weapon, but even you need a helping hand for such missions. Back up is always needed!"

Soul frowned at the God who had declared the helping hand who made him what he was no longer able to perform missions. Sure, through tips and trainings with other Death Scythes and even martial arts training with Black Star, he had gained better close combat skills but he was stronger when wielded by Maka, the only one who knew how to use him properly.

"But I'm so glad to see you didn't have to make two trips here after all or relay the message. This would explain why there was no answer from Crona's mirror, so I have to thank you for bringing him along, Soul. I'm sure you two will make an excellent pair!"

Unfiltered shock widened Soul's eyes, Crona following with him as they darted their eyes to each other, confused by the apparent partnership thrust upon them.

"…M-Me?" Crona's soft voice wavered, raising an uncertain finger to his chest. "W-Why _me_? I-I can't-b-but he and I-…w-what if I-?"

Crona appeared near hyperventilation in his breathing and Soul struggled to not roll his eyes as the Shinigami eased him down from his panic attack, motioning constant up and down movements of breathing from his covered stomach to the top of his chest with his large comical hands.

Lord Death inched his head further to the side in confusion as Crona began to calm down. "Now I'm confused. Isn't that why you're here, Crona? I thought Soul had received my mirror message ten minutes ago." The Shinigami looked to a now averting eye Soul who was whistling over-casually, knowing he was about to be scolded for keeping the mirror that was always supposed to be high in volume on silent. He swiped a quick peek at the mirror in his jacket pocket and saw it lightly pulse with light within his pocket; a message identification.

Well, crap. He _was_ screwed.

"What have I told you about putting such an important object on silent?" Lord Death reprimanded, wagging a large finger in front of him. "That is something that needs to be on some form of volume twenty-four seven!"

Soul propped his cheek up with a hand. "Do you have any idea how _annoying_ that damn ringing chime gets? I'd rather listen to Black Star sing than hear the 'kill kill die die' sh-"

A massive Reaper Chop plunged itself into the middle of Soul's cranium, the sickening crack of bone echoing through the room. Soul howled in pain from the impact and clutched his head, attempting to soothe the abused dent that had been left behind from his punishment.

"Anyways, back to the topic!" The Shinigami turned to Crona. "I want you to assist Soul because you know how these of people think, you know their behaviors and how they cover their tracks. You'll be an excellent asset to Soul's research. I'm not expecting you to wield him when the fighting starts, as he has proven to be capable of close combat skills. You will simply be another set of reliable hands backing him up. Plus, you'll also be able to give Soul a bird's eye view of where you'll be searching. Driving a motorcycle is nice I'm sure, but it doesn't provide the useful air support you can."

"Searching on the ground has always worked fine for Maka and I." Soul grumbled under his breath, sitting up while rubbing his head.

The Reaper ignored him. "Besides, you two have been hitting it off more and I bet this would make for some great bonding time. Oh I bet Maka would be so proud to see the two of you fighting evil together!"

Soul observed the mention of pleasing Maka sparking something in Crona's shaking eyes, his curved back slowly straightening out and the tremor of his body stopping. Hesitation was still there as those almost alien-like eyes diverted to him in silent question. Soul replied with a shrug, not knowing how this would work himself.

Soul liked Crona, he was a good person and a strong fighter, but he hadn't really fought with him without Maka wielding him. The simple thought of them being out on their own without her… was more than just a bit unnerving.

"Is this partnership going to be a problem, you two?"The God inquired.

Both immediately shook their heads in refusal.

"Good! I look forward to what news you'll bring and how you'll work together. As soon as you boys wake up tomorrow, head on out."The Shinigami turned to Soul, his comical voice fairly stern. "And keep the ringer _on_ this time."

"Yeah yeah I got it." Soul tucked the envelope into his jacket. He patted his front jacket pocket in affirmation it was there and placed his hands on his knees, drumming his fingers against them in thought. After a few moments, he looked to Crona, hinting at him through the silence and another motion of his head towards Lord Death. The conversation between he and his godly meister was over. Whatever Crona wanted to say, now would be the time to say it.

Upon seeing Soul's attention towards Crona, Lord Death joined in glancing at him. "Am I missing something?"

Soul's eyes drifted to Lord Death's mask. Crona didn't have his pusher to help him in voicing his held back words, so it looked like he had to fill the void. "Crona came with me, sir, but not because of a mission briefing. I think he wants to ask you something."

"Oh?" The Shinigami turned his head to Crona's. "Well, what do I owe this unexpected pleasure then?"

Crona suddenly gripped his left arm in his skittish tendency. He bit his bottom lip and moved the piece of flesh around under his teeth as he continued to muster up his strength to talk."U-Um…w-well you see, sir…I…"

"Yes?"

He fumbled further and bit at his bottom lip harshly.

The pair waited.

"I was wondering…if-"Crona rapped his fingers against his arm, letting his nerves calm as he handled the limb. Lord Death continued to wait, his body still leaning in question. "I was wondering…if I could t-take more missions after I get back."

The Shinigami leaned further to the side. "More missions you say? Why the sudden craving?"

Crona visibly hesitated, his facial features squirming, as if he was about to sneeze. "I just…I want to."

The Shinigami kept his body tilted as he examined Crona, Soul following with him. It was times like this he wished he had Maka's or Lord Death's capability of Soul Perception to search a person more deeply, to actually scan their emotions. Even though he felt he already had a good knack of it through facial expressions, it never hurts to have that extra confirmation through a reliable ability.

"I see." A long pause filled the room before someone spoke again. "Is this for an extracurricular lesson? Or do you not feel you are being given enough missions?"

"N-No."

"Then please state your reason, Crona. You know that every student's request must be backed with a sufficient reason."

From Soul's close distance, it sounded like the sword meister was struggling with his breathing, his head aimed for the Shinigami but nervously glancing at Soul, the familiar emotion of fear in his eyes. The thoughtful song of interest hummed behind the Shinigami's humorous skull mask as Crona continued to fidget, his stuttering pursuing.

"I…I-I.."

"Yes?"

The swordsman carefully lifted up the side of his face to view the Shinigami, showing one dark eye from underneath his bangs. He looked back down.

"Now now, there's no need to be shy. Anything you can say to me I'm sure you can say in front of Soul too. You should know by now that we aren't going to bite."

Still, he kept his head down, small inaudible mumbles leaving him. The brows of Soul's forehead continued to be scrunched in confusion and annoyance.

Crona was a nice guy, but he sure as hell knew how to drag out an issue, whether it was big or small. His behavior didn't help Soul's irritability either due to being on alert caused by the lie he attempted to pull. The anxious stir in his gut had turned harsher in its swirling upon Crona's continuous glances to him, the bitter seed of suspicion sprouting slowly as his eyes darted back and forth from the Death Scythe to the Shinigami.

"Now," The Shinigami began, seeing prodded will be the only way to voice his reason. "I understand it's hard to find your voice, but maybe now's the time to learn without Maka being around you, don't you think? You won't be punished, I'm just asking for a reason. It is a standard procedure. So please help me understand, did something happen to make you feel this way?"

Crona had become stiff. What looked to be thought formed between his brows and wrinkling his forehead. That far away zoned-out look came back into his face, a look he's been making the entire time Soul came back to the house.

"Crona?" The Shinigami gently queried, tilting his head.

Crona held himself, shaking. "I-I just…after…"Crona started, his voice was strangely thick and his head slumping down farther, his shoulders following with it. "After…i-it was so nice..."

"What was?"

Mentally, Soul asked the same thing to Crona, letting an expression of stern curiosity etch his face. Crona saw and his gaze skittered away, his voice getting quieter. "Everyone was…t-they offered Maka and I help with clothes and food a-after we told them about…that." Soul frowned, disappointment adding to the emotional concoction churning in his gut from the scared meister failing to voice "_that_" as "baby". "…even your son was nice enough to offer money to help support us. I-I couldn't…"

"Do such offers make you upset, Crona? Did you think they were intruding on you?

"O-Of course not! It-I-I just…"

Soul and Lord Death kept their intrigued gaze on the young man. He balled his fists tightly against the fabric of his robe before resuming his explanation.

"It made me…" The boy's frail body began to shudder. "I knew it b-before, but it made me see more so…just how useless I really am. Everyone offered so much and I-I couldn't offer anything. I-I can't do any of the things they offered…I'm worthless."

This evoked no response from the Shinigami and his weapon, trying to keep their calm countenances as Crona continued.

"I-I barely even know how to buy my own clothes, let alone someone else's. I c-can cook but I don't know what kind of food Maka needs…I barely even have any money left over after paying rent and food. H-How-" He started to tremble violently. "How can a person who can't even care for himself…take care of something so helpless? It…I don't…" He paused, speaking softly. "It deserves better than someone like me. Maka should have someone better than me. I don't deserve this, any of it. I-I tried to learn more things to help out b-but it always becomes too much for me…and I can't…"

Soul didn't know whether to side with the prickling stabbings of cold pity inching toward his heart or the hot, tightening spread of apprehension and frustration growing in his chest. The bitter seed of his suspicion held there only sprouted further through Soul's tense muscles, balling his fists and merging his angry brows to the young meister. He didn't want to believe it, as he had defended Crona's tendency to run away as a thing of the past, and a part of him still believed he wouldn't. But after seeing his attempts earlier, his excuses in order for him to left alone and his nervous behaviors toward him being present, a reluctant tug of doubt kept wrenching against his heartstrings. Crona's self-pity also wasn't any help in managing his barely contained anger boiling within him, feeling the hot winds flood his body and windpipe.

If this kid thinks…

"Someone as useless as me…shouldn't be able to have this, _a-anything_ like this with her. Both of them need someone better than me, a reliable person to take care of them…S-so they shouldn't-"

"Think about what you say next very carefully, Crona." Soul angrily blurted out, letting the bubbling winds sourced from the steaming mixture in his gut seep through his lips. Crona looked at him in shock, his frightened pinpricks meeting scornful scarlet, allowing his frown to deepen.

"Soul, stop frightening the boy."Lord Death ordered. "Let him speak."

"Well excuse me, _sir_, but I don't like the vibe this dude has been giving me all day, let alone this entire weekend. I've been biting my tongue long enough and now I've reached my limit with him. I'm not Maka and I'm not going to coddle him or protect him from scorn."Soul turned his attention back to Crona. "So hurry up and thaw out those cold feet of yours and say what you want to say already. I'm tired of you feeling all boo-hoo for yourself, especially when it comes to your worth to Maka and your own damn kid. Have some pride."

"Soul…-I-I" Crona stammered weakly, his eyes huge and body trembling with fear and moving away from him as if Soul was an advancing storm preparing to destroy his target.

"That's _enough,_ Soul." Lord Death commanded more sternly.

"I'll stop when he tells me why he's so nervous of me having to hear his reason and why he's giving me the impression that he's trying to bolt from my meister and his kid because of some stupid self-pity crap. His behavior the entire day has been nothing but trying to get away from us, so what else do you want me to think he's trying to do? And if he thinks he can get away with darting out of the picture by using missions as his escape and leave my meister in the dust then I'll be_ damned_ if-"

"I said _ENOUGH."_ The God's controlled voice boomed, shifting back into his dark and ancient tone, his eyeholes knitting together in anger.

Soul flinched upon the command. Hearing the Shinigami's vexation toward him, Soul scowled and leaned back in an upright position, his eyes still boring into the shivering sword meister's, still expecting an explanation through his commanding gaze rather than words now. Crona shied away his threatening eyesight to peer at the ground.

Lord Death's eyeholes returned to a calm circle shape and looked toward Crona again. "Now then, you were saying?"

Crona's eyes stayed glued to the table, his fists clenching his robe and his teeth sounding to be clacking together. "I-I'm useless…"

"You've already made us aware of that." Soul stated coldly. "What else?"

Crona shrunk inwards on himself and the Reaper delivered a smack onto the Scythe's face, the impact fiercely reddening his cheek.

"S-someone as skill-less as me can't offer…anything." Crona's voice quivered, lifting his hands from his robe to look at them. He slowly clenched them, gripping on them hard enough to draw blood from his palms. "I.."

Crona inhaled a deep breath as he lifted his head to face the Godly weapon pair, his eyes brimming with a mixture of fear and a surprising, rare glint of determination. "But maybe…maybe I can at least try. I _want_ to try, even though I may never deserve this. If I-I can't give Maka help with cooking or clothes like Tsubaki or Patti and Liz can…I'll give her and the academy something else, my only skill: k-"Crona struggled to swallow before he continued. "Killing."

Soul and Lord Death remained silent as the young meister breathed in another shaky breath.

"If there's a Kishin egg that needs to be dealt with, I'll do it. If something or someone needs to be delivered or escorted somewhere, I'll go. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. I just want to be useful…I-I appreciate everyone's help, I really do. It was so nice of them…"

He looked over at Soul and the mournful puppy dog look of wrongdoing returned, but the resolve still lingered in his gaze. "And you're right, Soul. This is scary, I blame myself when I shouldn't. I'm scared. I-I'm _terrified _and often times it seems like it's easier to run…but I can't. I don't want to. I also don't know what will happen when this is all over b-but I…I want to provide for her in some way. I'm worthless in every way possible except fighting. It's all I know how to do. So, if going on more missions is what I need to do to get money for us…so I can help her, I'll do it."

He brought his balled fists against his lap again and gave a low bow of his head to the Shinigami, finally voicing his request. "I can't run away anymore and I won't. Maka needs me. So please, please allow me to take extra missions so I can help Maka, so I can get more money for her…"He paused and spoke again in a quiet whisper that one has to strain to hear. "And the baby."

The vehement spread of anger vanished inside Soul, the emotion being replaced with the frozen glaze of shock, the hot mixture in his gut solidifying and feeling like a guilted brick as it felt to have dropped to his feet. It's been two years since Crona last ran away; he said that from his own mouth when he had returned from his mission. To doubt his loyalty and determination was like doubting the sky was blue. Crona may be skittish and timid, but he had enough guts to come back to the apartment that night to face Maka and him, to tell the entire group the news, guts that he apparently had grown _more_ of during his stay in Death City rather than lost. Sometimes it was hard to notice the change in him, but right now it stood out, when he was finally able to voice his wants to people without Maka present.

Crona really did have more guts than anyone gave him credit for, even Soul. And here he dared to assume he was bailing when all he wanted was more money opportunities for Maka and his kid. To be useful, not run away.

Soul carefully looked away from Crona, disguising his embarrassment by rubbing a finger under his nose, acting as if he had a visible nose nugget and didn't want anyone to see it. He mentally kicked himself for doubting one of the most loyal members the academy has encountered as a student and romantic partner.

An interested murmur of surprise sang underneath Lord Death's mask, his head nodding with his body shifting to the side, focusing his blackened eyeholes onto Crona. "I see what you mean and I understand now. Thank you for your well justified reason."

Soul bobbed his head up and down at the bashful Crona, pleased with his reason too as his head lifted to look at each of them in the eye, blushing slightly from their accepting responses. Soul smirked, and Crona gave a small smile in return.

Way to go, kid.

"I understand your request, but I'm afraid I have to deny it. My answer is no."

Soul's heart sunk and his glad expression wrinkled into a frown, darting his glinting crimson to his Lord's dark abyss. Crona followed in his shock, his eyes wide and holding a face filled with hurt bewilderment.

"_No_?"Soul snarled through clenched sharp teeth. "What do you mean _no_?"

Lord Death brought up a large hand to silence the impatient Death Scythe. "I understand you're concerned, Soul. But please, do not interrupt Crona's and I's conversation."

Soul scrunched the bridge of his nose and hissed a breath of air through his teeth. He folded his arms and glowered in frustration, silently allowing the two to continue.

Meanwhile, Crona shook in trembling anxiety, his eyes full of question and hurt flickering back and forth in his sockets. His lips quivered as they opened to form words, but his chest breathed panicked short breaths. The guy never did very well when it came to handling rejections.

Lord Death moved in over the table, leaning towards Crona. "Would you like to know why I said no?"

Crona looked to be reluctant on answering, keeping his eyes toward the misshapen crosses that appeared to act as tombstones in the Death Room. A moment passed before he brought his shivering eyes to the God's dark eyeholes, giving a shaky nod.

"Well," The Shinigami snapped back into an upright position and took a quick sip from his cup. "It is as you said: Maka needs you. Although I understand why you would want to take on more missions for your family's sake, how can you take care of her when you're so far away?

Crona didn't respond.

"You're still very young, so it's only natural that you don't know the responsibilities of being a father, don't you?"

Crona's head dropped toward his chest, his shoulders hunching with him.

"I'm not trying to reprimand or insult you." Lord Death assured, his voice calm and comforting. "I'm just asking a question."

Crona weakly nodded.

"That's okay, you're still learning. You have nine months to learn. But during those nine months, it's important for a father to be present. Maka needs you to get through the phases of pregnancy and she can't have a partner who is often leaving to take care of her."

Crona seemed to shrink further inside himself, possibly castigating himself for not thinking that part through.

Soul couldn't help but raise a suspicious brow. "If that's the case, sir, then why are you allowing him to come on a mission with me? Where he'll be _away_ from Maka? You seem to like contradicting yourself, don't you?"

Lord Death pulled Soul's cheek with his massive hand, causing him to growl and flail his arms in an attempt to get away and retrieve his outstretched skin. "I'm allowing it because you need a partner with experience on these cases and you are a Death Scythe who has yet to hone field skills. You two should find these murderers and dispose of them quickly. It will take nowhere near the length it took Crona. Plus, you both won't be far away. I'd rather he be out on a quick mission near Nevada while Maka is in her earliest stages rather her second trimester."

The God retracted his punishing hold from Soul and turned to Crona. "But after this mission is completed, you need to stay in Death City and take care of your baby's mother. I know you want to help by going on missions, but you'll need to find another job in the city to support your family. There are plenty." The Shinigami sipped a satisfying gulp from his tea cup, contently sighing. "There is no other help which can compare to a significant other's, Crona. Your friends can try but they cannot fill the void of you when you are gone. That is why I said no. Understand?"

A look of sadness loomed over Crona's face as he hung his head. He gave a small nod.

"Good. Well, I wish you the best of luck then! Chop chop! That mission preparation isn't going to finish itself!"He waved his large gloved hands up and down to shoo the boys away and stood up. "Now go on! Good luck and happy trails!"

Still frowning, Soul stood up and extended a hand to Crona. A pale hand met his and he pulled the trembling boy up. He patted Crona's shoulder in comfort and both turned their backs and began to leave.

"Oh, curse this forgetful brain of mine. Soul, I forgot one more mission for you!" Lord Death called.

Soul stopped, his face showing visible irritation from the Shinigami's and his own rash treatment toward his friend. As he turned to frown at the God, his senses flickered on and eyes widened in alarm as something quickly moved through the air towards him. His quick hands caught a long stick and his clenched mouth hissed as a dark blur of metal clashed with his face.

"Ow!" Soul shouted. "Lord Death what the f-?!"

"Ah!"Lord Death raised a finger, wagging it. "Language."

Soul's mouth twisted into a snarl, rubbing his face to ease the pain. Like his meister's Maka chops weren't enough to decimate his brain cells, now he had to deal with this crap.

After the pain subsided, he looked down at what he grabbed. He looked in confusion as he saw a mop in his grip and a bucket rolling to his feet. He couldn't help but let an annoyed eyebrow twitch.

"What, am I cleaning up vomit now because I forgot to leave the stupid ringer on?" Soul spat.

"Are you offering?"Lord Death sang cheerfully. "Because that would be wonderful!"

"Hell_ no_!"

Soul growled as his face was smacked with a thick bag that had quickly flown at him, the small duffel falling to the floor on the tops of his feet. Crona stared in confusion while Soul continued to twitch in silent fury.

"Now listen." The Shinigami ordered, pointing to the bag on the floor. "On your way out, I want you to give that to our new Janitor. The man came to me earlier today asking for a job in order to help care for his family and-." He wiped what Soul hypothesized to be a fake tear from his eyehole, making small sniffs from an invisible nose. "I just couldn't deny such a noble request. It's a heartwarming story that I won't bore you with. So make sure to give that to him when you leave from here. Also, tell him his uniform, keys to the utility closet, and teacher's pass to the food courts is in that bag. I know he'll be working extra hard so he deserves a free lunch!"

Soul stared at the Shinigami, baffled. His eyes darted to Crona's face, seeing his face contorted with puzzlement as he fiddled with his fingers. He looked to him with begging eyes for answers and Soul couldn't help but exhale in irritation and amusement.

Even though he acted like a large child in the form of an all powerful God, Lord Death was a kind and empathetic divinity, always looking out for his subjects with great concern and hoping to help them in any way possible. Like what he was doing for the meister beside him now.

"But!" Lord Death zipped over to Soul and placed a gloved hand beside the place where his mouth should be, covering it as if in secret but his voice level not following his form. "Make sure you keep an eye on the little partner he has with him when he goes to the food court. He's a little creature who has an insatiable hunger that would cause our stocks to disappear in the blink of an eye." He backed off from Soul and headed back toward his raised platform. "If it wasn't for that hunger I would have put the newbie in the food courts. But, oh well. He'll do fine as a handy man and the senior janitor could use some extra hands. Thanks for the help!"

The Shinigami turned his cloaked back to walk to his tea table. He sat back down and slurped happily at the cup's contents. "Good luck!"

A flabbergasted Soul and Crona stared at each other before nodding to the Shinigami. Soul picked up the cleaning materials in his arms and exited the Death Room with Crona. Once the thick door closed with a _clunk_ behind them, Soul looked at the items he held and turned his crimson eyes to Crona.

"W-What," Crona spoke, his eyes darting back and forth in confusion. "What just happened?"

Soul stretched a sharp corner smirk. He lifted the items in his possession toward Crona. "Looks like you've got a new job when you get back."

A faint blush appeared on the young meister's cheeks as he stared at the bucket, mop, and duffel. A shaky hand lifted to his chest and poked a timid finger against it. "M-_Me_? That's who he was-b-but I don't really…I-I can't even-!"

Soul chortled, entertained by his perplexed friend's response. "Relax man, you'll be fine. It's not like you're going to be repairing things around the academy. You'll just be sprucing it up."

Part of Crona's puzzled gaze lifted, but it was soon replaced with a faint purse of lips and twitch on the bridge of his nose in what looked like distaste."Does…" He spoke softly, touching the tips of his forefingers together. "D-Does this mean I have to spruce up…_bathrooms_?"

That question evoked another form of laugher, one that was shrill and merciless. Soul sighed as a familiar cloud of black liquid lifted into the air.

"Oh man, this weekend just keeps getting better and _better_!" Ragnorak snickered loudly. He shot his gloved hands toward his meister and poked at his nose with one while the other stretched a cheek to the side.

"O-ow!S-stahp et Ragnuhruk!"Crona whined, lifting his hands to push the demon away.

"First I find out you thought the booze was _magic._" He bent his head down to swivel his eyes toward his meister. "Which was pretty freakin hilarious if I may add! Then _this_? Oh god I can see it now!"

Ragnorak let go of his meister and lifted his two gloved hands side by side into the air, as if he was a director of a movie who was capturing a good spot to film in-between his fingers. "Crona attempts to clean the bathroom with nothing but his trusty rusty scrubber and a nice maid outfit on with rubber gloves and a prissy hat. Just add some high heels and fat shit stains on each and every toilet bowl to that picture and we're golden!" Ragnorak started laughing manically at the image and haphazardly flung his small arms around from his amusement. "Screw cameras, I need a freaking _video recording_ of this! I hope the job comes with a free video camera, because we need it for all of your best freak out moments!

"Ragnorak, that's not funny…" Crona reprimanded quietly. "A-And Lord Death wouldn't make me wear a maid's outfit."

"The hell it's not!"Ragnorak argued, hitting the top of his head. "And how are you so sure he won't? You haven't even opened the bag yet to see your uniform."

Ragnorak dissolved into Crona's back to appear in his front, his fists reaching out for the bag Soul held. Sensing the demon's plan, Soul retracted the pack behind him and brought the wooden end of the mop down with an unforgiving _THUNK_ upon the demon's head.

The Demon Sword growled in anger as he turned his odd face towards Soul. "Hey, wanna-be-piranha. Who the hell do you think you're messing with?"

"A very obnoxious and nosy weapon, _that's_ who. Now shut up and leave Crona and I alone."

"The hell if I'm going to listen to a wimpy baby shark like you. Fork over the bag fish lips!"

Crona grabbed the small arms of his flailing weapon and frowned at him. "Ragnorak, stop being mean to Soul."

"Quiet you!" Ragnorak barked, yanking himself out of his meister's grip and punching Crona in the gut. His meister coughed from the demon's blow and he dissolved back into his body to appear on his back, stretching his cheeks again. "Just because being with the vomiting bitch gives you more confidence doesn't mean you can start reprimanding me. You'll always be _my_ bitch!" He stretched Crona's cheeks further causing the meister to yelp in pain. "See?!"

Soul moved forward to help but halted when the demon recoiled back into Crona's spine. Both stood there in the corridor as Crona rubbed his reddened cheeks.

As the two stood there Soul felt the guilt and curiosity eat at his insides a little too harshly, so he spoke up, "Hey, Crona?"

The sword meister shyly met his gaze, bringing his forearms closer to his torso for nervous comfort. Soul took his free hand and scratched the back of his head, still a little uncomfortable. "Look uh-, sorry for how I acted back there. Even I have to admit, that was pretty lame of me to doubt you. I was just suspicious of the way you've been acting, you know?"

"That's okay, y-you're were just trying to look after Maka." He replied. A timid corner smile holding traces of gratitude appeared across his lips. "That means a lot."

"Heh, well, it looks like she's got someone much better than myself looking after her now." He nudged Crona's shoulder with his knuckles and gave a small smirk. "I have to admit, you're getting braver kiddo."

A tiny smile of self-satisfaction came across Crona's lips. "T-Thanks."

"No prob."Soul paused, the guilt leaving him but the curiosity still remaining. "But I gotta ask, why were you so nervous about me being around? What's so bad about me hearing you want more missions?"

He held his arm tighter against chest and his face turned a lightly flushed pink "I-I um, I wanted to be alone when I asked Lord Death." He hung his head, his voice a soft murmer. "I w-was embarrassed and thought you'd m-make fun of me for how I felt, how much I wanted it. O-Or get angry. I know you don't like it when I talk like that about myself and you'd say it's not…cool of me."

Soul felt a small pang of guilt sink into his chest. "And what about getting away from Maka?"

A thoughtful expression came into him, silent for a moment. "I-I thought she would get mad at me for hearing me think the way I do, for hearing the reason why I wanted more missions. I know I s-shouldn't think that way about myself, like she always tells me not to do…but it's hard. Sometimes I can't help it. I didn't want to make her angry."

Soul blinked, understanding and softly nodding his head. It made sense…but still, even with that understanding, Soul felt it would have been so much easier to just _tell him what he planned in the first place_. Not drag it out as he did. Soul's astonishment only furthered upon hearing he thought someone would get angry or make fun of him because he wanted a job to help get money for his family. It was so ridiculous, he couldn't help but let his snide remarks finally escape.

"Dude, I knew you had your wires crossed, but I didn't think they were this horrifically placed." Soul stated. "Because I'm telling you right now, if a girl and her best friend hear that you want to get a job to help your expecting family, they're not going to be angry at you. If anything, they're going to slobber you with soppy kisses until you feel like you're drowning. Not even _I_ would make fun of someone for wanting to do something so respectable." His confident smirk returned to him. "So keep that in mind for the future, huh? I'll spare you a noogie now only because I gave you unneeded crap. But I can't guarantee your safety next time. You thought Black Star's was bad? Wait until you feel mine, Maka's bookworm head has given me some excellent practice."

Crona's blush had already extended to his collarbones upon Soul's explanation of what women would do to such a decision, a small smile now on his reddened face as Soul gave his opinion on how he felt. He gave a small sound of agreement and lifted his hands out to take the bag from Soul, slinging it over his shoulder so he could carry the other materials. His now fading in blush face appeared deep in thought as he moved and his mouth opened to speak.

"S-Soul?"

"Sup."

Soul turned his gaze towards the timid boy as he prepared to leave. Crona opened his mouth farther to voice his words, but they never passed his lips. He closed it again and clutched the cleaning tools closer to his chest. "N-Nothing. J-Just…thank you for understanding."

Soul arched a brow. "Don't mention it. And you sure?"

"Yeah. So uh…w-where do I put all of this?"

"I have a feeling you're going to store them this way."Soul slapped a hand to Crona's shoulder and motioned him forward. "Let's go check out your new office, shall we?"

The shy smile continued on Crona's face as the pair started to walk through the corridors. Soul allowed it all to sink in and reminisced on the eventful day.

A mission with the now employed Crona…this was going to be interesting. He couldn't wait to see the look on Maka's and the other's faces when they heard about it all.

* * *

Maka sat beside the professor sitting at his desk, her arms crossed and the bridge of her nose pinched. The doctor kept a stolid face as he glanced at her through the side of his glasses, an unlighted cigarette dangling from his lips. He withdrew his eyesight and turned his attention back to grading papers.

"My word is final, Maka." Stein spoke. "No buts."

"I don't see why I can't, Professor." Maka replied, pouting furiously.

"Of course you don't see why." Stein said matter-of-factly, unafraid to be as opinionated as his student."You're a smart girl. You've proven that countless of times. But you're still young, so you don't see my concerns yet."

"I do and I know where my limits are, that's why I'm saying I can do it until I've reached four months."

"And I told you my answer Maka; No. Trust me, this decision is for the best."

"Those stairs are simple, professor, like a walk in the park. I've done it many times before and I'm sure I can keep climbing them until my deadline."

"I know you have, but that same story of climbing with ease will not be told a few months from now." He looked at her again, his eyes stern and containing hints of annoyance. "Take it from someone who has heard the complaints."

The end of Maka's lip curled down, still dissatisfied but silenced upon seeing his point. Professor Marie had proven her skilled physical capabilities in their fight against Medusa; she was just as fit as herself. So if she had a difficult time getting up the steps while pregnant to teach, it's possible the same would be for her.

Still, that didn't stop her from trying to convince the professor.

"I thought exercise was needed during pregnancy, wasn't it?"She persuaded. "So isn't it a good thing I would be taking the stairs every day?"

"You need to exercise, yes, but there is a difference between exercise and overexertion. The Nevada heat will not aid you during your trek either, but will instead wear you down further and dehydrate you. There are plenty of parks in Death City for you to walk in as a substitute. The city is massive enough for you to get your exercise through walking around, not climbing stairs every day."

Maka sat back in her chair, feeling almost defeated. "Isn't there…another way into Shibusen I could take? Besides the stairs?"

Stein cranked his bolt. "I'm afraid not. The stairs maybe a comical entry, but it is the only one." He placed a paper down and wrote a "C" with his red marker. "You're not that far along, Maka. You'll be fine with a three month deadline; it's only a month less of what you want. But after that time is up, I will direct your studies to your apartment. Soul or Crona can take them to you and they or your friends can take a mirror to class so you may listen in on lectures."

Maka couldn't help but feel a fluster of frustration and embarrassment rise in her cheeks, a little uneasy with the idea. It was nice of the professor to work with her so she could continue studying and give her reasonable ultimatums, but the thought of only being able to communicate and go to class through a mirror felt so…degrading.

So, she continued to push.

"Then if I can't go to school, what do you expect me to do all day, professor?"Maka inquired. "Lectures only last so long, as does homework, and I can't just sit at home and do nothing."Just the thought of her lounging at home not using her brain like the lazy couch potatoes Soul and Black Star shook her in waves of discomfort and light disgust. She had to avoid that at all costs, keep herself and her mind busy, even if it meant more school books to read. "If I can't take missions, can't you give me extra class lessons? Just to keep me entertained?"

She heard him let out a small exhale of laughter as he scanned another paper. He closed his eyes. "You're the perfect embodiment of an A-student, Maka. You never cease to astound me."

Maka's frown softened at Stein's compliment, but kept her determined gaze on him. He returned his own, showing her is impassive stare. "But as much as I'd like to, you do not qualify. You're all caught up. If anything you have too many credits."

Her deepened frown returned and Stein remained emotionless. "Besides, you don't need that additional stress of meeting deadlines from increased studies. The load I provide should be enough. I've heard plenty of complaints to know how long my workload takes."

Maka pursed her lips further. "So then, if I can't go to the academy after my time is up, just how am I supposed to get that workload to you? Even take tests? A teacher always has to monitor the students during exams."

"I'm well aware of the rules." Stein replied coolly. "So, you can stop by my laboratory. I'll monitor you there. As for your homework, maybe Crona could give it to me during class, or Soul. You all live together, don't you?

"Well yes but-"

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

Maka stared at him for a moment. She then leaned back into her chair and sighed, giving a very small nod.

Stein lowered his head and turned his head towards his desk, picking up a paper to examine it. "Good. Besides, your empty schedule will make it easier to monitor you as you advance through your pregnancy. I'll notify you on the weekly appointments. We'll have to keep a close eye on you."

Maka lifted a hand to rest on her cheek, muttering, "It's not like the kid is going to be changing every ten minutes, professor. Every month should be fine."

Stein cranked his bolt again. His eyes appeared lost in an unfocused glance as he stared at the paper he held, as if he was staring off into another realm through it. She watched as his eyes slowly rolled upwards to glance at something across from his desk, Maka following his line of sight and seeing a pair of rats loudly skitter around in their cage. Maka squirmed at the sight of such creatures, especially since they were kept in his room, possibly new victims of one of his cleverly thought out experiments. She didn't bother to ask him but with her own usage of Soul Perception, she identified a strange emotion shining at the bottom of his soul, the end of his lip twitching only slightly. But as she attempted to scan more of him, his wavelength was quickly snatched from her sights, blocked from her as Stein shielded himself, sensing her sight within him.

"Yes, of course not." He placed the paper down and wrote a "B" on the exam. "But you'll need check-ups regardless. I can arrange a day that suits you so it will be easy to work around your schedule."

"It's not like I'll have anything to do most of the day if I'm at home."Maka grumbled, resting her cheek in her hand.

"You'll find a way to get creative."

"Maka curled her lip. "How did Marie cope with being at home? I can't understand how anyone can take being there all day."

Stein closed his folder containing the graded exams and looked at her, an almost smug small smile on his face. "She got creative."

Figures. She should have seen that one coming.

"Now, is there anything else I can help you with?

Maka paused, collecting all of her thoughts. Her curiosity of what the future would bring was not only in education itself, but other possibilities and problems she may be faced with as time moved on. It looked like she wasn't the only one who was curious as she examined her professor's tired eyes, flickering back and forth to search him. She had seen that familiar emotion her Soul Perception scanned from many instances during class dissections or encountering an intriguing object. So surely, he had thought about it too.

"You've been thinking about it too, haven't you?" Maka asked, her voice smaller.

Stein blinked, inching his head to the side. "About?"

Maka glanced downwards at herself, placing down one of her crossed arms to cover her abdomen. Stein leaned back in his swivel chair, glancing downward as he noticed. His face remained neutral. "It's crossed my mind a few times, yes."

"Do you…"She paused, swallowing the growing lump in her throat. "Is it possible? That it will have it? The black blood?"

Stein blinked slowly, but his expression was still unreadable. She felt her heart-rate climb as he continued to stare blankly, allowing an uncomfortable pause to sweep through the room.

He lifted a hand to crank his bolt again. "If I had Medusa's notes to analyze, I could give you a more concrete answer, but I do not. All I have are my own hypotheses as Lord Death prefers to have the infection of black blood to remain within Soul and Crona, not test subjects."The professor sounded to have been disappointed on voicing that last statement and tucked his hands away in his lab coat's pockets. "So all I can tell you is that it is a possibility. That is why I am taking precautions and monitoring you closely. We don't know the extent of how the black blood has affected Crona's body and if it can be passed on."His eyes appeared glazed over as he looked away. "After all, reproduction is nothing but a randomized lottery, always a gamble on what children may receive."

Maka stayed silent.

"I know that's difficult to take in and I wished I had something positive to say, but I'd rather be upfront with you rather than lie."

She lowered her head, thinking raptly. She had plenty of time to think about her situation while Crona was gone, when Lord Death had first told her she was pregnant. It surged and raged in her mind with fearful apprehension, fear for something she was supposed to be happy about. She thought she wouldn't have to think about this for a while, until she was older. This was going to happen eventually, she knew that much, but not so soon.

Maka took a deep breath, trying to compose herself and stay positive. "But if it's a lottery of inheritance, there's also a good chance that it won't have it, right?" She asked.

Professor Stein fiddled with the unlit cigarette in his mouth, moving it up and down. "Yes, that is also true."

She placed her free hand over her chest, to the place where her small Grigori soul floated, flapping gently in her chest. She knew her soul had specific properties that could drive away madness, eradicate the potent black blood that ran in her veins two years ago against the Immortal Wolf and Crona. She knew what her soul provided to herself, but she didn't know what influence it had when another soul dwelled within her; something that held specific properties of their own.

"Isn't there a way we can make sure though? Some way to find out?"

"It's always the hardest part, Maka, but only time will tell. All we can do is wait."

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